Three new experts added to Climate Impact Committee
As we launch Climate Fund 2, the headlines go to the hero companies we invest in. But behind every investment is a team of friendly critics: our independent climate-impact governance.
For many funds, “impact” is self-defined, self-measured, and self-reported.
For us, it has always been different.
From the outset of Climate Fund 1, we introduced an independent Climate Impact Committee (CIC) to ensure that every investment is assessed against science-based, emissions-reduction criteria, before capital is deployed. This protects investors, founders, and the credibility of climate tech investing in Aotearoa.
As we move into Climate Fund 2, we are strengthening and broadening this proven model. Today, we are pleased to welcome three new members to the Committee: Audrey Jean-Baptiste, Dr. Paul Winton, and Emily Mabin Sutton. They join continuing members Dr. Jodi York, Lucie Greenwood, Prof. Shaun Hendy, and Dr. Jez Weston.
Together, this group forms the strongest independent climate-impact panels in the region.
Why the Climate Impact Committee Exists
Venture capital plays an increasingly important role in scaling climate solutions. But with that influence comes responsibility.
Our independent CIC was created to ensure:
- Rigorous climate assessment
Every investment must demonstrate a clear pathway to meaningful emissions mitigation, validated using consistent, transparent methodologies. - Independence and accountability
The CIC is fully independent. The Manager cannot approve an investment unless the Committee confirms that its climate-mitigation potential meets the Fund’s criteria. - Scientific integrity
Committee members challenge assumptions, stress-test modelling, and ensure the Fund invests in solutions that genuinely help decarbonise the economy. - Avoidance of self-marking
This is rare in venture capital. Most funds set their own definitions of impact. Our Committee ensures we don’t. As we expand the Committee for Climate Fund 2, this approach remains unchanged:
“We continue to set the bar for rigorous, independently validated climate-impact assessment—an approach we first introduced with Climate Fund 1.”
The new members are (shown above, left to right):
Emily Mabin Sutton
Emily is a climate advocate and entrepreneur known for making climate action accessible to everyday New Zealanders and businesses.
She is Co-Founder and CEO of Climate Club Aotearoa and the Climate Training Company, and serves on the boards of Consumer NZ, Cool-Safe, and Clean Planet, using her governance roles to promote sustainable consumer practices and system change. With a foundation in biotechnology and entrepreneurship, she brings valuable insights into behaviour change, adoption and system-level climate outcomes.
Audrey Jean-Baptiste
Audrey Jean-Baptiste brings over a decade of experience building entrepreneurial ecosystems across the Asia–Pacific region that empower technology and sustainability-focused founders to create measurable impact.
She has held key roles with Telstra and Climate Salad, where she mobilised capital, capability, and community to accelerate ventures tackling global challenges and advancing the transition to a sustainable future.
Today, Audrey leads venture and commercialisation initiatives at Swinburne University of Technology, bridging academia, industry, and capital to accelerate innovation and scale impact. Audrey holds a Master of Environment (University of Melbourne) and qualifications in economics, management, and psychology.
Paul Winton
Paul is a recognised thought leader in climate-change mitigation, an active advocate, and Co-founding Trustee and Chair of The All Aboard Transport Decarbonisation Trust and The 1point5 Project.
As founder and leader of Temple, a specialist investment decision-making firm, he brings deep expertise in modelling emissions reduction pathways in complex and data-poor environments using a range of micro-economic models, data sources and tools.
Paul has also worked with McKinsey & Company and Partners in Performance serving clients in Australasia, Asia, USA and Europe across multiple industry sectors and holds a PhD and a BE (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering.
Bringing Independence, Expertise and Accountability
These appointments build on the strong foundation created with Climate Fund 1. Our continuing Committee members: Dr. Jodi York, Lucie Greenwood, Prof. Shaun Hendy, and Dr. Jez Weston bring deep expertise in sustainability, impact measurement, physics, policy, and innovation systems.
Together, the Committee provides a breadth and depth of experience that strengthens the Fund’s governance and safeguards impact integrity for our investors.
Looking Ahead
Climate Fund 2 aims to deliver strong commercial returns while enabling technologies that materially reduce emissions. The independent Climate Impact Committee remains central to this mission.
With its expanded membership, the Committee ensures that every investment reflects:
- scientific discipline
- independent verification
- transparent methodology
- measurable emissions-reduction outcomes
This is how we protect the credibility of climate tech investing in Aotearoa, and how we continue to set the bar for independent climate-impact governance.
To learn more about Climate Fund 2 or our investment approach, please get in touch.