Climate

Dealing with climate change is complex. It requires ambitious, equitable and realistic targets, consistent policies and effective markets, as well as implementation support, including climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building.

SQ Consult addresses these issues at the global, national and local level. We understand the close link between climate action, sustainable development, business activity and potential synergies among them. SQ Consult has a long standing involvement in the climate change area, including the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, including carbon market mechanisms, and supporting the international climate negotiations and the resulting implementation provisions, including technology development & transfer and climate finance. We offer good insights into the interactions between different policies and markets, and have a strong track record in addressing the needs of diverse stakeholders (public, private, civil, environmental).

Our expertise in the design and optimisation of carbon markets covers emissions trading, carbon crediting, and builds on our understanding of green and white certificate systems as well as energy & carbon taxation. SQ Consult has built up extensive expertise in carbon markets in Europe and applies this expertise across the globe to design new markets or to optimise the functioning of existing ones.

Climate negotiations

The success of the global fight on climate change requires that national and local circumstances are taken into account. This recognition, together with the importance of a robust monitoring system and adequate support for developing countries are at the core of our work. Our experts have an extensive track record in supporting the UNFCCC process for the UNFCCC secretariat, parties and other stakeholders. This includes the assessment of different options under discussion, such as the design and review of the Kyoto Mechanisms, how to involve more developing countries in the climate regime, or how to strengthen e.g. the Green Climate Fund or the Technology Mechanism. Our experts have also been involved in various IPCC activities, supported least developed countries (LDC) and small islands developing states (SIDS) in their negotiations and provided training for negotiators for different parties.

Policy development, implementation and evaluation

SQ Consult experts have supported Governments in the design of national and sectoral policies and the evaluation of their effectiveness. Our team comprises highly experienced experts with a strong focus on the design of legislative frameworks and evaluation frameworks. They also support to the actual implementation, e.g. through the development of implementation guidance or supporting stakeholder in dealin with policy impacts. This provides an in-depth understanding of the requirements, practicalities and impacts of various climate policy regimes and interventions.

Emissions trading and other carbon pricing instruments

SQ Consult is one of the leading consultancies on emissions trading in Europe, having worked extensively for the European Commission on the design, implementation and evaluation of the EU ETS. This includes all aspects of the design, legislative framework, allocation and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) at operator, Member State and EU level. SQ Consult leverages this knowledge to expand and strengthen carbon pricing regimes around the world, including offset programmes and carbon taxation, amongst others for the PMR. Our experts have also evaluated different systems and provided training in Europe and around the world.

Climate finance

SQ Consult has extensive experience in evaluating finance options for climate actions, in supporting project proponents achieve finance-readiness and realise funding, and developing new business models for effecting a low-carbon transition. Our activities include strengthening the link between climate finance and technology transfer, the evaluation of climate finance funds and individual proposals, the preparation of guides for proposal writers, and ... We constantly review the finance landscape, as well as international private finance vehicles operating in different geographies and sector markets, in search of possible synergies between different funds and instruments.

Designing and implementing national and local mitigation action

SQ Consult’s strength lies in the combination of strong expertise in large-scale program, policy and strategy development with hands-on project development and implementation experience . SQ Consult experts have been involved at all levels in climate action, from the design of international standards, the development of national policies (including NDCs and NAMAs) to hands-on experience in supporting governments and private clients in implementing strategies, policies and projects. Our experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of mitigation actions provides us with important lessons learned about the barriers to the successful implementation of measures and the relation between GHG emission reductions and sustainable development benefits.