Ben Bartle

Benjamin Bartle

Project Director
  • Climate-Aligned Finance

Ben is a director at RMI, where he leads and supports three critical work streams to mobilize climate finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDE).

First and foremost, Ben is building RMI’s new partnership-driven effort, “25 by 2050,” to systemically address the barriers to scaling investment in the energy transition in EMDEs, from pipeline development to financial close. The initiative and partner programs focus on key triggers to mobilize the trillions needed in private capital in the Global South by the end of the decade. The early work focuses on leading the just energy transition through coal phaseout mechanisms.

Ben also supports the RMI-hosted Climate Finance Access Network, where he assists CFAN’s climate finance advisors to design projects and funding proposals to secure climate finance. He works alongside CFAN’s director on strategy development, fundraising, and thought leadership, also serving as a spokesperson for CFAN in external engagements.

Ben is also seconded part-time to the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions (HLC) team. Here, his work focuses on amplifying the role of non-state actors, driving the capital required to decarbonize island regions, building islands’ resilience, and ensuring climate justice and equity while transitioning.

Background

Ben has 13+ years of experience in over 40 countries covering Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Before joining RMI, Ben was a senior climate finance expert at E Co., a consulting firm specializing in supporting countries in the global south to identify, develop, and secure funding for low-emissions, climate-resilient projects and investments. At E Co., he led assignments and multi-sectoral teams of experts across energy, industry, transport, agriculture, oceans and fisheries, land use, and forestry sectors. Convening stakeholder consultation and consensus-building, Ben has worked with diverse stakeholder groups, including national governments, international financial institutions, development banks, multilateral/bilateral development agencies, private sector organizations, CSOs, and NGOs. In addition, Ben has led climate finance readiness and capacity development programs and country strategy development/programming.

Ben has also held various roles at the United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility, and other consulting and advisory roles.

Additional experience and expertise:

  • Current board director at the Climate Markets and Investment Association (CMIA)
  • Current active private sector observer of the Climate Investment Fund (CIF)—Clean Technology Fund and Current advisor to active private sector observer of the Green Climate Fund
  • Diverse experience in private sector engagement, blended finance design, and fund mobilization
  • Mobilized over US$350 million in private sector co-finance for over 40 projects successfully funded to the tune of around $500 million by climate funds such as the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, and Special Climate Change Fund
  • Passionate environmental advocate and filmmaker, having written, directed, and produced documentaries on climate change and international water projects for UNDP and the Global Environment Facility
Education

MS, Environmental Management and Economics, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Post Graduate Diploma in Science, Environmental Management

Location

London/New York