Kerry Liebenberg
Climate Finance Counsel, London*
"I am passionate about the potential of the carbon market to address the climate challenge. I have a background in Environmental Science and am highly motivated by the current confluence of science, policy and law in the climate debate."
Overview
Professional experience
Education and qualifications
Overview
Kerry is a Counsel in Linklaters’ Carbon Finance Group, where she has worked since 2016. Prior to this Kerry spent 7 years as the line of business lawyer for Environmental Markets at JPMorgan, London. Kerry first joined Linklaters from South Africa in 2006.
Over the past decade Kerry has advised multinationals, global investment banks and other financial institutions, energy majors, corporates and carbon market specialists, across the full spectrum of carbon transactions, including carbon offtakes, pre-pays, carbon financings, equity investments, credit packages, carbon-structured notes and carbon-linked notes, and M&A transactions (including book disposals). Kerry also increasingly acts in the consumer/retail sector, advising corporates in connection with their net zero trajectories, scope 3 emissions reporting and related insetting/ offsetting programmes.
Work highlights
A selection of Kerry’s recent experience includes advising:
- A global food and beverage manufacturer on their carbon insetting and offsetting programme, aligned to a net zero trajectory. This included drafting a suite of template contracts across the programme footprint, covering project agreements with local suppliers (farmers), project developers, third party verifiers, and carbon offset agreements with third party providers.
- A leading international investor in carbon projects on the restructuring of an investment agreement in connection with a Carbon Farming Initiative/ Emissions Reduction Fund Project to develop and monetise Sequestration Offsets Projects using methodologies for the natural regeneration of forests and avoided deforestation in Australia.
- A global investment bank on specialist carbon advice in connection with the establishment of a programme for the repackaging of EUAs. This was one of the first dedicated EUA repackaging programmes in the market. It has a large amount of flexibility, including the use of OTC derivatives and futures contracts to transfer EUAs from the issuing vehicle.
- World Bank Group on the Pilot Auction Facility (PAF) - an innovative instrument designed to ensure the maximum use of limited public resources for climate change mitigation, while leveraging private sector financing. The facility encompasses a put option auction for methane and other emissions reductions.
- A Spanish public-private entity on its accreditation under the World Bank’s Green Climate Fund to disburse and administer GCF funds and to implement GCF funded activities.
- A global agricultural commodities player on the acquisition of a voluntary market carbon aggregator. This included due diligence of a significant global carbon offtake portfolio and structuring advise on the acquisition.
*Kerry works remotely from outside of the United Kingdom, supporting the firm’s London office