Who we are
Our history
Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF) was established in 2019 by the founders of Quadrature Capital, Greg Skinner and Suneil Setiya. Initially, our founders were passionate about supporting causes that addressed poverty, inequality and human suffering. In 2018, they came to understand the way the climate crisis superimposed onto these challenges, undermining efforts to combat famine, support refugees, and manage natural disasters. This led them to focus the work of the foundation on efforts to combat climate change, the most urgent challenge of our time.
In 2023, QCF embraced a mandate to tackle the ‘New Climate Reality’. This approach acknowledges that while rapid decarbonisation is essential, it must now be complemented by efforts to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and those that address the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities.
Our ‘big tent’ philosophy fosters diverse engagement to accelerate solutions. Emphasising a truly science-based approach, we use evidence from varied sources to challenge conventional perspectives. Returning to our foundational goals, we prioritise creating a climate-resilient future for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Our team
Our team of more than 30 employees is made up of scientists, policymakers, lawyers, advocates and those from the corporate and financial sectors we engage with, all driven by a shared commitment to discover and implement critical solutions.
Our decision-making and actions are guided by our commitment to be:
- Collaborative: we know we cannot end the climate crisis alone and seek out new allies and partnerships across everything we do.
- Humble: we recognise our strengths and blind spots. We seek feedback, value others’ ideas, and reflect on our own biases.
- Brave: we are unafraid to explore difficult or contentious areas or work on overlooked solutions.
- Objective: we make evidence-based decisions, integrating diverse knowledge from various disciplines and stakeholders to challenge existing assumptions.
- Driven: we are committed to delivering at the pace commensurate with the urgency of the climate crisis. We will work through ambiguity, and go the extra mile to achieve collective impact.
Meet the team
Jess started her career in climate nearly two decades ago as a researcher working at the intersection of climate change and poverty. For six years, she advised governments, the UN, World Bank, donors, and think tanks on climate adaptation planning and financing in vulnerable developing countries. Transitioning to energy policy, she held senior positions within the UK Government for seven years, playing a pivotal role in driving the UK's clean energy transition. Her roles included Head of Carbon Markets at the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Head of Energy Branch at HM Treasury, and Senior Adviser to the Energy Minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
In 2019, Jess moved into philanthropy, becoming a Global Director in the Climate Programme at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). She joined Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF) in December 2022. At QCF, a science-led philanthropy focused on unlocking critical climate solutions, she leads the team working on efforts to build climate resilience for the most vulnerable people.
Jess holds a PhD in international development, with a focus on climate vulnerability, and has an MSc in Environment and Development and an Executive Master of Public Policy (EMPP) from the London School of Economics (LSE). She has published extensively on climate finance and adaptation and served as an IPCC expert reviewer for the Fifth Assessment Report (2014) and a contributing author for the Special Report on Adaptation (2012).
Greg is the Deputy CEO and Chief Science Officer at the Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF), where he leads the Science and Evidence, and Programmes teams. He is responsible for identifying new opportunities for deploying philanthropic capital and managing QCF's portfolio. Greg holds a PhD in experimental physics from the University of Basel and an MSc in chemistry. With over 15 years of experience in academic research, his work has primarily focused on plasma physics and materials processing, particularly the behaviour of materials under extreme conditions, with applications in nuclear fusion.
From 2014 to 2020, Greg served as a scientific coordinator on the ITER project, the largest and most complex scientific project in the world. In 2020, he became the Managing Director of Zenon Research, a Paris-based think tank that analyses emerging trends in technological innovations required to achieve net zero emissions. He was among the first advocates for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) in France.
Greg is also an associate researcher at Mines Paris PSL and an academic fellow of the Institut Louis Bachelier. He has published more than 240 scientific articles, authored the book ‘Energy Chronicles’, and contributed to three other books. Greg is regularly featured in major media on topics related to climate tech, climate, and energy, and actively engages in public outreach through speaking engagements and social media.
Becky is the Chief Operating Officer at Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF), where she plays a pivotal role in advancing QCF’s mission to unlock critical climate solutions. She translates strategy into implementation, leading a team of experienced functional heads including finance, legal, grants operations, communications, information technology, and people operations, to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. She is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of processes to balance the needs of QCF employees and external partners.
With more than 15 years of senior management experience in global FMCG companies, Becky is a seasoned Finance Director, Auditor, Commercial Finance Specialist and qualified accountant. In 2020, Becky moved into philanthropy, as the Director of Programme Finance at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), where she was instrumental in driving financial strategy and supporting impactful climate initiatives globally. She also has experience in setting up and running new businesses across various sectors. Her passion for brands and strategic growth has driven impressive results for numerous global brands through her ability to bring financial insights to life with her infectious energy.
Beyond her commercial acumen, Becky is deeply committed to helping individuals realise their potential by building technical and interpersonal skills and fostering self-belief. A qualified teacher, with a love of languages, she excels in engaging and motivating people, whether in the boardroom or the classroom. Her ability to inspire and drive results has been a hallmark of her professional journey.
Governance
Quadrature Climate Foundation is an independent charity regulated by the Charity Commission in the UK.
We are governed by a Board of Trustees that includes Jen Hooke (Chair), Greg Skinner, Suneil Setiya and Neil Cosgrove.
An Advisory Board also supports the Foundation’s work. Our Advisory Board Chairs are Rachel Kyte and Jeremy Oppenheim.