Founder of South Pole resigns – Girod also steps down
Published: Friday, Nov 10th 2023, 22:40
Updated At: Friday, Nov 10th 2023, 22:43
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Renat Heuberger is stepping down as head of the Zurich-based climate protection company South Pole with immediate effect. The company was recently criticized. Independently of the CEO, Green National Councillor Bastien Girod is also leaving the company.
Heuberger will be succeeded as CEO of the company ad interim by John Davis, according to the press release. He was previously Commercial Director for Asia and the Pacific at South Pole.
Girod announced his departure from South Pole on the Linkedin portal. He was previously Head of Climate Solutions for the Switzerland, Germany and Austria region.
A "closer examination of climate projects" is needed to "bring more integrity to the evolving global carbon market", the Green politician wrote. After "careful consideration of the information that has recently become public", he has decided to end his employment at South Pole.
"The decision to leave South Pole was my personal decision, which I made several days ago," Girod explained in a statement to AWP.
He continued: "It has nothing to do with the new measures announced today, which are a step in the right direction. Improving Group-wide quality and risk controls and due diligence processes is important."
Controversial Kariba project
At the end of October, South Pole announced that it was ending its collaboration with the controversial Kariba project in Zimbabwe. According to the press release, the new task should best be carried out by a new top management team.
According to several media reports, the benefits of the Kariba carbon offset project were much lower than assumed. Nevertheless, South Pole is said to have knowingly continued to sell CO2 certificates from the project.
In addition to an interim CEO, the company intends to appoint a Chief Risk Officer to review the entire portfolio of climate protection projects. According to the press release, co-founder Heuberger will take on an advisory role to support the new management.
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