South Pole

South Pole is a Swiss carbon finance consultancy founded in 2006 in Zurich, Switzerland. The company's business encompasses project and technology finance, data and advisory on sustainability risks and opportunities, and the development of environmental commodities such as carbon and renewable energy credits. South Pole operates 23 offices across Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America, and South America.

Timeline

1. 2006: South Pole was founded by graduates of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), including Patrick Bürgi, Thomas Camerata, Renat Heuberger, Ingo Puhl, and Christoph Sutter, later joined by Christoph Grobbel, Marco Hirsbrunner, and Christian Dannecker as equal partners. The company started as a spin-off from ETH Zurich as the non-profit ‘myclimate.’
2. Post-2006: Following the success of myclimate, the founders positioned climate change as a business opportunity, leading to the creation of ‘South Pole Carbon.’
3. 2015: The company rebranded to ‘South Pole Group.’
4. 2018: The company rebranded again to the current ‘South Pole.’
5. 2012: South Pole acquired a major stake in Australian carbon farming project developer and offset retailer, Sydney-based Climate Friendly.
6. 2017: South Pole acquired Climate Friendly's domestic and international carbon and renewables division outright.
7. 2019: South Pole sold its majority share in Climate Friendly back to the Australian subsidiary's management team.
8. 2021: A 10% stake in South Pole was bought by Lightrock, a leading global impact investor backed by LGT and the Princely House of Liechtenstein. The investment was reported to be in the range of “€20 million-plus.” South Pole also acquired Belgium-based climate consultancy CO2logic to expand its offerings in Belgium and France.
9. 2022: South Pole acquired Italy-based Carbonsink, with offices in Milan, Florence, and Maputo.

By 2019, South Pole claimed to have reduced or removed over 170 million tonnes of CO2.

Projects

South Pole has developed more than 1000 projects in over 50 countries, including:

• Reforestation and forest protection
• Renewable energy
• Habitat restoration
• Clean cookstoves
• Other project types

Notable Clients and Partnerships

South Pole has provided services or offsets to major companies, including:

• Nestlé
• Gucci
• EY
• Hilton
• ALDO Group

Awards

South Pole is a regular winner of Environmental Finance’s Annual Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings:

• 2018: Four awards
• 2019: Four awards
• 2020: One award
• 2021: Three awards, including Best Project Developer in the new category of Blue Carbon

Integrity Questions

In 2023, the integrity of South Pole's main project in Kariba, Zimbabwe, was called into question, as highlighted by criticism from the Verified Carbon Standard.

Key Personnel

• Renat Heuberger – CEO
• Alexandra Connac – Director, Head of Global Legal & Compliance
• Christoph Grobbel – Chairman & CFO
• Martin Christen – Senior Director Corporate Functions
• Franziska Sinner – Senior Director, Head of Sustainability Consulting
• Stefan Rösch – Executive Director, Head of Climate Solutions
• Isabel Hagbrink – Director of Communications
• Marco Hirsbrunner – Senior Director, Global Operations
• Naomi Rosenthal – Head of Solutions Practices
• Martin Stadelmann – Senior Director, Climate Investments
• Sarah Boissinot – Director of Operations, Consultancy
• Marco Magini – Executive Director, Climate Projects
• Ladaporn Kat Khunikakorn – Regional Director, Southeast Asia
• Christian Dannecker – Senior Director, Global Sourcing
• Sophie Deheslle – Associate Director, Head of Operations, Climate Solutions
• Andrea Rumiz – Director, Key Accounts
• Bamshad Houshyani – Senior Director, Head of Project Development & Implementation

Products

• Carbon Offset and Renewable Energy Certificates
• Corporate Climate Risks & Opportunities
• Land Use and Water
• Supply Chain Advisory
• Renewable Energy Solutions
• Climate Policy
• Public Advisory
• Climate-Smart Cities
• Digital Lab
• Sustainability Marketing
• Green Finance
• Fund Advisory

Company Network (Draft Map)

Group & affiliates

• CO2logic – acquired 2021 (Belgium-based climate consultancy).
• Carbonsink – acquired 2022 (Italy-based climate consultancy).
• Swiss Carbon Assets Ltd. – South Pole–linked SPV / asset vehicle (Switzerland).
• Swiss Carbon Value Ltd. – South Pole–linked SPV / value vehicle (Switzerland).
• Perenia Carbon India Private Limited – India-based affiliate / JV entity connected to South Pole.
• Emission Reduction Services Private Ltd., India – India-based services or SPV entity connected to South Pole.
• EBC Mauritius Limited – Mauritius-based SPV / structuring vehicle connected to South Pole.

Investors & funders

• Lightrock – ~10% equity investor in South Pole (2021).
• International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Development Bank, Green Climate Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, Swiss Technology Fund, OAK Foundation, Landscape Resilience Fund, responsAbility Investments AG – development finance institutions, funds, and impact investors that co-finance or support South Pole–related activities and projects.

Clients & buyers

• Named corporate clients (from public sources): Nestlé, Gucci, EY, Hilton, ALDO Group.
• Additional likely buyers/clients based on partnerships: BP, Petrobras, McDonald’s, Walmart, Philip Morris, Airbus Americas Inc., Boeing, General Electric, Robert Bosch GmbH / Bosch GmbH, Deutsche Telekom AG, Swiss Re, Citigroup, UBS, Vistajet.

Peers, partners & intermediaries

• Offset developers / consultancies / intermediaries connected to South Pole: myclimate, Climate Friendly, UpEnergy Group, C-Quest Capital, Biocarbon Group, NatureRe Capital, Carbonfuture, Pachama Inc, ClimatePartner, EcoAct, Climate Focus, Stand for Trees.

Standards, NGOs & initiatives

• Standards / registries and initiatives South Pole interacts with: Verra, Climate Action Reserve, International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), The Climate Group, World Green Building Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Code REDD, Stand for Trees, Conservation International, Fundación Natura, Fundación Magnolios, African Conservation Development Group.

(This map is inferred from currently available information and may need refinement as more project- or contract-level details are added.)