Manuel Cocco (He / Him)

Expert with over 15 years of extensive experience providing professional advisory and technical assistance for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Sustainable Development (SD), green energy, climate policy, climate finance, carbon markets, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and related ESG/SD/carbon products, services and IT tools & platforms for public and private institutions. Worked as Environmental & Climate Analyst for the World Bank over 2007-2010; as Head of Climate Policy for South Pole over 2011-2018 and as Senior Energy & Climate Advisor for GIZ from 2020. High level expertise in areas centered around green technologies and low carbon development, such as: the development and the implementation of public & corporate climate strategies, voluntary & compliance carbon offsetting projects, corporate carbon investments & offsetting plans, low-carbon and decarbonization roadmaps, Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and net zero commitments for a wide range of public and private players; and on the selection of climate, ESG & sustainability accounting protocols, reporting standards, consulting partners and software providers. Specific topics of expertise include: energy policy development, financial mechanisms for energy efficiency, carbon market reform and Paris Agreement; Climate Change Mitigation (CCM) instruments such as Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions -NAMAs-, Low Emission/Carbon Development Strategies -LEDS/LCDS-, Low Carbon City -LCC- Programs, etc. and its linkages with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy business models and implementation schemes; and related climate finance. Strong track record in the development, management and execution of portfolios of programs and projects, covering, inter alia: (i) strategic/programmatic planning and portfolio management for Corporate, Government and Civil Society Organizations; (ii) advisory & project management on the ground (from identification and preparation to implementation, supervision and M&E); (iii) policy analysis & technical backstopping (studies, reviews, evaluations, vulnerability & socio-economic impact assessments, trend analysis) summarizing findings and lessons learned and providing useful recommendations; (iv) marketing and management of verbal and written communication for internal & external audiences, and (v) Technical Assistance, partnership building & stakeholder development (training/mentoring technical teams, advising/supporting government institutions, coordinating/facilitating multi-stakeholder consultation mechanisms).