Steering Committee

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CREWS is an example of what multilateralism should be about. It is a multilateralism of solidarity, which is reactive, and very much grasping the challenges of our time.

Jean Yves Le Drian, Former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France

The Steering Committee is the decision-making body of the CREWS Initiative.   

Responsibilities

Governance:  defines and amends governance rules and responsibilities of the CREWS Initiative 

Vision:  sets strategy, approves policies, and ensures operations are aligned with purpose and objectives  

Leadership: decides on priority investments, allocates funding, gives the green light for project launch or extension  

Accountability: monitors operational progress, reviews financial reports, approves the Secretariat’s annual budget 

Who’s who

The Steering Committee is composed of donor Member States as decision-makers. The Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Chair of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Group under UNFCCC are also members.

The CREWS Secretariat, the Trustee of the Trust Fund and Implementing Partners contribute as non-decision-making participants.

The Chair of the Committee can also invite countries thinking of contributing to the CREWS Initiative, organizations, or specialists to attend meetings as non-decision-making observers.  

Members are represented by nationally appointed government officials. They serves as the Chair of the Committee on a rotational basis.

Members

12 contributing countries are Members of the CREWS Initiative.

France, the founding Member, launched CREWS at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris in 2015.  Since then, a growing membership and sustained financial support have seen our operational investments expand – geographically and in scope – year-on-year. Members have decision-making powers through the Steering Committee. They are represented by government nominees.

Australia
Austria
Cornelia Jäger Cornelia Jäger serves as Senior Policy Expert in the Climate Directorate of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate, Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management.

She has long experience in UNFCCC Climate negotiations, in particular in the field of adaptation and loss and damage. In the Ministry she is also in charge of the International Climate Finance Portfolio.

Senior Policy Expert, Climate Change
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
Climate, Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management

Alternate representative Angela Friedrich
Senior Policy Expert, Climate Change Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate, Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management
Canada
Francis Pigeon In December 2022, Francis was appointed as the Executive Director for Policy and Partnerships with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) where he plays a key role in helping to advance the MSC’s objectives and priorities through engaging with a various set of internal and external partners, both within the Government of Canada and internationally.He sits on the Steering Committees of both the Climate Risk Early Warning Systems initiative and the Systematic Observation Financing Facility.

Prior to that, as the Director, Climate Finance he oversaw the delivering of Canada’s $2.65 and $5.3 billion climate finance commitments. He directed finance negotiations and policy, including the first Climate Finance Delivery Plan, and represented Canada in strategic international partnerships such as the Powering Past Coal Alliance and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. At COP27 in Egypt, he delivered Canada’s first ever national pavilion at a UN Climate Change Conference.

Prior to joining ECCC, Francis led on the alignment of International Assistance Envelope resources with foreign and international assistance priorities at Global Affairs Canada for close to a decade. He holds a Masters in International Relations and a Baccalaureate in Political Sciences and International Development.
Executive Director, Policy and Partnerships, Meteorological Service of Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada
 
Canada is the current Chair

In December 2022, Francis was appointed as the Executive Director for Policy and Partnerships with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) where he plays a key role in helping to advance the MSC’s objectives and priorities through engaging with a various set of internal and external partners, both within the Government of Canada and internationally.  He sits on the Steering Committees of both the Climate Risk Early Warning Systems initiative and the Systematic Observation Financing Facility.

Prior to that, as the Director, Climate Finance he oversaw the delivering of Canada’s $2.65 and $5.3 billion climate finance commitments. He directed finance negotiations and policy, including the first Climate Finance Delivery Plan, and represented Canada in strategic international partnerships such as the Powering Past Coal Alliance and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. At COP27 in Egypt, he delivered Canada’s first ever national pavilion at a UN Climate Change Conference.

Prior to joining ECCC, Francis led on the alignment of International Assistance Envelope resources with foreign and international assistance priorities at Global Affairs Canada for close to a decade. He holds a Masters in International Relations and a Baccalaureate in Political Sciences and International Development.

Alternate representative Heather Aucoin
Manager, International Relations, Meteorological Service of Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada / Government of Canada
Finland
Outi Myatt Hirvonen

Senior Adviser, Development Policy
Environment and Climate

France
Germany
Natascha Beinker She is a seasoned economist with broad expertise in international cooperation and development and more than 20 years’ experience across public policy, diplomacy, and the private sector, with a particular focus on financial inclusion, sustainable finance, private-sector engagement, and development finance.

From 2023 to 2025 she worked as Window Manager of the Social Protection Response Umbrella Trust Funds at the World Bank. Earlier, she led BMZ’s Division for Organizational Development and Change Management and held multiple responsibilities in financial sector development; in that role she represented Germany in the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) — the G20 working group on financial inclusion — and chaired the Partnership during the German G20 Presidency. During this period, she also served in various international functions, including as Executive Committee member of the Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii) and as Germany’s representative to the Council of Governors of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP). From 2008 to 2012 she was Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Kenya. Before joining BMZ she worked at Deutsche Post/DHL and as a business journalist

She studied economics and political science at the University of Bonn (Germany) and the University of British Columbia (Canada) and holds a master’s degree in economics.
Head of Division Climate Policy
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Alternate representative Verena Ommer
Senior Policy Advisor Climate Policy
Luxembourg
Benjamin Questier Benjamin Questier is a seasoned expert in European and international funding, innovation support, and climate finance, with over two decades of experience across research, consulting, and public institutions.

He began his career managing R&D projects focusing on public private partnerships up to large-scale European R&D initiatives. In 2015, he joined Luxinnovation — Luxembourg's National Innovation Agency — where he spent over a decade in increasingly senior roles, ultimately leading the Innovation & Funding Support department and advising the CEO on strategy and transformation. In this capacity, he oversaw national and European funding programmes (including Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme), drove digital transformation initiatives, and represented Luxembourg before European authorities.

Since late 2025, he has transitioned into his current role as senior International Climate Finance Advisor at Luxembourg's Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, where he focuses on channeling endeavors to countries and communities most vulnerable to climate change through multilateral programmes and international funds.
Senior International Climate Finance Advisor at Luxembourg’s Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity
Monaco
Carl Dudek With an international legal background from the Institute for Peace and Development of the Université Côte d’Azur, Carl DUDEK is currently a junior officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Monaco. In particular, he implements the Principality’s international climate policy as the national focal point for the UNFCCC. Mr. DUDEK is also in charge of the international development of space affairs, in close collaboration with the Monaco Space Office.

Junior Officer at the MOFAC of Monaco

The Netherlands
Norway
Lars Andreas Lunde February 2024 - : Policy director, Section for Nature and Climate, Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
October 2021 – February 2024: Head of Section, Section for Nature and Climate, Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
October 2020 - October 2021: State Secretary Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (50 pct. position each ministry)
May 2018 - October 2020: Head of Section, Section for Climate, Forests and Green Economy, Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
October 2013 - January 2018: State Secretary Ministry of Climate and Environment
Education: 1989 - 1993: Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration: Post-graduate studies in economics
1984-1988: Norwegian Institute of Technology: M.Sc in Marine Technology

Policy director

Alternate representative Lars Nesset Romundstad
Advisor
Switzerland
Sergio Pérez A civil engineer by training, Sergio Pérez serves as Programme Officer in the Climate, DRR and Environment Section of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

He has over a decade of experience in disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and climate change adaptation, working across operational programmes and international policy dialogue. At SDC, he manages partnerships with key global actors to strengthen climate and disaster resilience through international cooperation.

Programme Officer, Climate, DRR and Environment Section
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA

United Kingdom
Gerard Howe Gerard Howe has led the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development’s (FCDO) Department for Adaptation, Nature, and Resilience since 2022.

His Department holds responsibility for international policy, finance and programming for the UK government on adaptation, addressing climate risk, loss and damage, nature mainstreaming, sustainable agriculture, and water security. He is the Chair of the multi-donor Climate Risk and Early Warnings (CREWS) initiative, the co-Chair of Risk Informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) and holds the UK seat on the UNFCCC Fund for responding to Loss and Damage. Over 2021-22 he led the Scottish Government’s international climate work and delivery of COP26 in his hometown of Glasgow.

Previously, he led the Department for International Development’s central policy and programme objectives on the United Nations, on civil society, gender equality, disability inclusion and social protection. He has held advisory roles in country for the UK government in Rwanda, Tanzania, India and in Indonesia where he was the co-lead of the UK’s International Climate Change Unit. He has a career interest in the intersection of inclusion, climate change and development.

Head of Adaptation, Nature and Resilience Department, FCDO

AOSIS
HE Ilana V. Seid H.E. Ms. Ilana Victorya Seid currently serves as the Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations, a position she has held since 2021. She is also the Sherpa Co-Chair of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. In addition to her role at the UN, Ms.

Seid has been the Non-Resident Ambassador of Palau to Israel since 2022. She also previously co-chaired the Steering Committee of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum. Ms. Seid’s diverse professional background includes founding and leading Sunday-Morning.com, a New York-based venture. Prior to this, she worked in investment banking with Nomura Securities and Lehman Brothers, holding various positions in New York, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

She also gained experience as a software engineer and tech project manager at Assembled Brands. In 2005, Ms. Seid was an intern at Palau’s Permanent Mission in New York, an early step in her distinguished diplomatic career. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University.
Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations; AOSIS Chair (2025-2026)
LDC Climate change
Ambassador Adão Soares Barbosa Ambassador Adão Soares Barbosa is Timor-Leste’s Special Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large for Climate Affairs. He has more than two decades of experience in international climate policy and negotiations and has been deeply engaged in the UNFCCC process since the early 2000s.

Ambassador Barbosa served as Timor-Leste’s National Focal Point to the UNFCCC from 2007 to 2021 and has negotiated on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group since 2009. He has been the LDC Group’s lead negotiator on loss and damage, playing a central role in advancing LDC priorities on the institutional arrangements and governance of loss and damage under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

He has held several key positions within the UNFCCC architecture, including as Chair of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) in 2025, having been a member since 2016. He has served as a LDC representative on the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage since 2024, following his role as a member of the Fund’s Transitional Committee in 2023. From 2014 to 2021, he served as a LDC representative on the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, and from 2011 to 2014 as the LDC representative on the Adaptation Fund Board.

Alongside his negotiating work, Ambassador Barbosa has a long academic career. From 1997 to 1999, he lectured at the Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Timor Timur (UNTIM), and since 2000 he has been a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, at the National University of Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL). From 2014 to 2021, he served as Head of UNTL’s Centre for Climate Change and Biodiversity.

Ambassador Barbosa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from Universitas Timor Timur (1997) and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Victoria University, Australia (2005).

(Timor-Leste)