David Oliver
I am David Oliver, a thought leader and doer in carbon markets, working at the intersection of capital, technology, and the environment. Please feel free to contact me today.
Work
I am committed to promoting the widespread use of carbon markets as a means of achieving rapid decarbonization. Through my work, I strive to align financial interests with the goal of sustainability, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders across the value chain.
President
The Suomi Advisory Group is an advisory firm that specializes in providing carbon markets' strategic guidance and carbon IP development to businesses and governments on environmental finance to achieve sustainability.
Co-Founder & CEO
Greenlines empowers individuals and businesses to make a positive impact on the environment through our advanced digital MRV processes that recognize and reward sustainable behavior in the mobility and e-commerce industries.
Other Initiatives
Head of Carbon Program Development
Marmota is a pioneer in environmental asset creation, green project management, emissions mitigation, and sustainable financing. The company's primary focus is the implementation of large-scale, technology-based decarbonization projects that generate revenue directly from carbon markets, with a focus on municipal and provincial governments across Canada and the USA.
Advisory Board Member
Soil in Formation (SIF) is a U.S. public benefit corporation that aims to help restore soil health across the world by scaling accurate soil measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) for farmers and incentive providers. SIF provides affordable and auditable soil data that enables accurate and reliable government subsidy systems, insurance premiums, carbon markets and supply chain metrics. Our outcome-based data aims to provide all stakeholders with reliable information to act on.
Deputy for Vera Songwe
The GEAPP Global Leadership Council (GLC) is a diverse coalition of over thirty global leaders coming together to tackle the most challenging barriers to scaling just energy transitions worldwide and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
About
I am David Oliver, a global leader in decarbonization with a Master’s in Industrial Engineering, driving sustainable transformation across large-scale industries. With a multilingual background in English, Spanish, and Catalan, and dual Canadian-Spanish citizenship and Finnish background, I bring a unique perspective to fostering international collaboration in environmental innovation.
Based in West Vancouver, Canada, I lead multiple companies and initiatives focused on reducing carbon emissions and lowering development costs to enhance global access to sustainable solutions. My work spans sectors such as maritime, agriculture, cement, and energy, leveraging cutting-edge technologies like digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) and carbon intellectual property to deliver scalable, low-carbon outcomes.
With extensive experience in both public and private sectors, I am dedicated to forging partnerships that accelerate the adoption of decarbonization strategies worldwide. If you are committed to advancing sustainability and wish to collaborate on transformative projects, I welcome the opportunity to connect.
Publications
These are some of the most recent publications related to carbon markets. Feel free to download and share with your network.
Authored by David Oliver, the 2021 Carbon Market Report by the Vancouver Economic Commission provides a comprehensive guide to leveraging carbon markets to decarbonize British Columbia in the post-Paris Agreement era. It outlines the critical role of carbon markets in achieving net-zero emissions, emphasizing British Columbia's pioneering carbon tax and offset programs. The report analyzes the structure and potential of compliance and voluntary carbon markets, offering five key recommendations to enhance the BC Offset Program, including developing a transparent net-zero regulatory framework, enabling diverse sectoral offset projects, and transforming the program into a real-time trading marketplace. Highlighting innovative local initiatives, it underscores the urgency of scaling carbon markets to drive economic, social, and environmental benefits while advancing reconciliation with First Nations communities.
In the article "Valuing the Invaluable to Meet the Paris Agreement," Vera Songwe and David Oliver address the critical role of carbon markets in achieving the Paris Agreement's climate goals. Published in the Global Solutions Journal (Issue 9, May 2023), the piece emphasizes the need for robust, transparent, and scalable carbon pricing mechanisms to drive global decarbonization. The authors highlight the economic and environmental potential of carbon markets, particularly in incentivizing low-carbon technologies and supporting developing nations through offset programs. They propose policy recommendations, including standardized carbon credit frameworks, enhanced market transparency, and integration of carbon pricing into national climate strategies, to ensure alignment with the 1.5°C target. The article underscores the urgency of global cooperation to unlock the full potential of carbon markets for sustainable development.
This guidebook, authored by David Oliver with contributions from Dr. Michael Max Buehler, serves as a non-technical resource for First Nations and small-to-mid-size Canadian municipalities seeking to navigate the complexities of public funding and project development for infrastructure and community initiatives. Amid Canada’s 150th anniversary and increased federal funding opportunities outlined in the 2017 Budget, the guide addresses critical challenges such as social inequalities, aging infrastructure, and limited in-house expertise in smaller communities. It outlines essential elements for successful project execution, including funding strategies, stakeholder engagement, governance structures, procurement models, costing, and project controls. The guide also provides practical solutions for overcoming common project obstacles, such as cost overruns, delays, and stakeholder conflicts, while offering insights into the future of construction and key industry terminology. Designed to enhance project development capabilities, this resource empowers local leaders to secure funding and deliver impactful projects effectively.
Contact
I welcome inbound requests to connect and challenge each other. Please feel free to send a message using the contact form below.