Our Approach

The FS-UNEP Centre takes a unique approach towards combining research and expertise to finance the transition towards a greener, climate-resilient future that enables societies to prosper. Our mission is to attract new types of investors, particularly by catalysing the private sector financing of sustainable, low-carbon economic activities. The private sector capital plays a crucial role in the race we face in climate change.

The FS-UNEP Centre’s work aims to encourage and support the finance community to scale-up current investments, or to take the first steps into new markets. A key part of this process is to enable the public sector to be able to place policies, regulations and initiatives that overcome existing or perceived investment risks and other barriers perceived by the private sector. The aim is to bring demand and supply of sustainable financing together by promoting smart finance structures and mechanisms.

Our Vision

Our vision is to drive the global transition for a clean and sustainable world – a world driven by a low-carbon economic development and led by environmentally conscious, self-empowered and enabled communities and businesses.

The vision is to accelerate the adaptation needed to make this a reality. this can only be achieved by working with, engaging and strategically advising financial actors to develop innovative, smart and practical solutions.

Our Team & Expertise

The team at Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance combines an in-depth knowledge of finance markets, particularly in developing and emerging countries, with extensive skills for the design of appropriate financial mechanisms and contractual arrangements for financiers under local conditions. It acts as a bridge-builder between the public and private sector, developing and developed countries, high-level climate policy negotiators and on-the-ground project developers. It generates a mutual benefit by bringing the demand for financing, with those able to supply it, together.

 

Management

Fatma Dirkes

Director and Vice President Frankfurt School International Advisory Services

Prof. Dr. Ulf Moslener

Head of Centre Research and Head of FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre

Climate Topic Leaders

Tobias Panofen
Tobias PanofenDirector and Deputy Head

Area of Expertise

  • Sustainable Finance
  • Renewable Energy and Cleantech Finance
  • Crowdinvesting
  • Decentralized energy
  • Project Finance and Risk Transfer
Carola Menzel - Hausherr
Carola Menzel - HausherrDirector
Focus on essentials

Area of Expertise

  • Sustainable finance
  • Organisational development
  • Environment & social management systems
  • Climate & environment-related financial disclosure
  • Project cycle management
Maria Jesus Baez
Maria Jesus BaezDirector
“The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately” (Seneca)

Area of Expertise

  • Renewable energy
  • Green hydrogen
  • Electric mobility
  • Sustainable finance advisory
  • Financial modelling
     
Dr. Christine Grüning
Dr. Christine GrüningDirector

Area of Expertise

  • Climate Finance
  • International Climate Policy
  • Green Climate Fund
  • Education
  • Global Trends in Renewable Energy Report
Dr. Karol Kempa
Dr. Karol KempaDirector
I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim. […] Sounds like fun! – James T. Kirk

Research Areas

  • Environmental and Energy Economics
  • Climate Policy
  • Climate Finance
  • Applied Econometrics
Jörg Oelschläger (PhD)
Jörg Oelschläger (PhD) Director

Area of Expertise

  • International Development Cooperation
  • Private Sector Development, Sustainable Energies, Public Finance, Aid Effectiveness
  • Global climate finance, banking as well as public promotional instruments
  • Regional focus on Africa (anglophone, francophone)
  • Management of complex programmes

Team

Frederic Bettini
Frederic BettiniGreen and Sustainable Finance Analyst
Each and every one of us can make changes in the way we live our lives and become part of the solution.
Dr. Christian Haas
Dr. Christian Haas Postdoctoral Researcher
Mathilde Bossut
Mathilde BossutJunior Researcher
Michael König
Michael König Project Manager
My house is your house.
Sabine Schneider
Sabine SchneiderProject Coordinator
Strategies for sustainability must take many forms. There is no “one size fits all” approach to the future. (Walker et al.)
Elizabeth Tamayo Tabares
Elizabeth Tamayo TabaresProject Manager
Green contains all Colors.
María José Valverde
María José ValverdeProject Coordinator
This is not our world with trees in it. It’s a world of trees, where humans have just arrived. – Richard Powers, The Overstory
Menglu Neupert-Zhuang
Menglu Neupert-ZhuangSustainable Finance Researcher
Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody has thought. Research is formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi & Zora Neale Hurston
Sebastian Rink
Sebastian RinkGreen and Sustainable Finance Expert
The climate crisis requires unprecedented action – mainstream finance needs to become a driving force.
Anna Gomes
Anna Gomes Project Coordinator
At first I thought I was fighting to save (rubber) trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realize I am fighting for humanity
Iara Linz
Iara Linz Project Coordinator
Arturo Martinez-Oest
Arturo Martinez-OestProject Coordinator
When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills – Chinese Proverb
Pauline Delacoe
Pauline DelacoeOffice Manager and Executive Assistant to Head of IAS
What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. Dr Jane Goodall, Scientist & Activist
Saskia Peters
Saskia PetersProject Coordinator
There is no planet B. We must do what we can today to save our tomorrow.
 Dr. rer. nat. Ghazal Ghafari
Dr. rer. nat. Ghazal Ghafari Data Scientist
Laura Kempa
Laura KempaProject Manager & Adaptation Finance Expert
Many individuals are doing what they can. But real success can only come if there is a change in our societies and in our economics and in our politics. – David Attenborough
Yamini Jain
Yamini JainProject Coordinator
Natalia Carranza
Natalia CarranzaProject Manager
How sad to think that nature speaks and mankind doesn’t listen – Victor Hugo
Prof. Dr. Oliver Schenker
Prof. Dr. Oliver SchenkerRobert Bosch Assistant Professor of Environmental Economics
A holistic policy approach that promotes a cost-efficient transformation to a sustainable energy system has to take the interactions and side-effects of its individual policy measures into account.
Zühal Ürgüplü Sanal
Zühal Ürgüplü SanalProject Manager - Sustainable Finance Specialist
Alokananda Nath
Alokananda NathProject Manager
Eduarda Thurler
Eduarda ThurlerProject Coordinator
Diogo da Conceição Rego
Diogo da Conceição RegoProject Manager
Adrien Feller
Adrien FellerProject Coordinator
Martin Cremer
Martin CremerSeed Capital Assistance Facility
Today’s challenges require the mobilization of private capital through the smart use of public money, especially for de-risking early stage development activities. The SCAF is an example of such an approach, with a strong opportunity for replication.
Andrea Bode
Andrea BodeSeed Capital Assistance Facility
Transformation starts in our own heads. Each of us can contribute towards a better future, both at work and in our private life.
Derek Campbell
Derek CampbellSeed Capital Assistance Facility
We all have a responsibility not only to address tomorrows challenges but yesterdays’ failures.