Expertise: Climate Justice

Lindsey Allen

A lifelong environmental and human rights advocate, Lindsey Allen has engaged some of the world’s largest companies in cleaning up their environmentally destructive practices while inspiring powerful mobilizations for environmental and social justice.

Lindsey most recently served as Chief Program Officer at Greenpeace USA where she oversaw strategy and climate, forests, oceans, and democracy campaigns. Lindsey previously spent almost a decade with Rainforest Action Network, serving as the Executive Director during a time of significant growth and increased focus on diversity and justice reform. Lindsey began her career as a forest campaigner, working to end destruction of the Amazon rainforest and North American Boreal forest. Motivated by the urgency to accelerate justice and climate action,

Lindsey is deeply committed to protecting forests, lands, and the rights of Indigenous and frontline communities to create a just and liveable future. Lindsey graduated from Humboldt State University with a BA in Anthropology.

Jason Anderson

As a Senior Program Director, Jason Anderson oversees the Governance & Diplomacy and Super Pollutant programs at ClimateWorks. His work spans efforts ranging from implementing the Paris Agreement to cleaning up dirty shipping and preventing methane leakage.

Jason has over 25 years of experience in climate and clean energy, beginning in the solar energy conversion office at the U.S. Department of Energy, which led him to promote photovoltaics for rural electrification in Central America. Jason then worked in a range of climate organizations in Brussels for 15 years, ranging from Climate Action Network Europe to the Institute for European Environmental Policy to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). Jason was a lead author of the IPCC special reports on ozone and climate interactions, and on carbon capture and storage; in 2007 Jason was acknowledged for his contribution to the IPCC’s Nobel Peace Prize.

Jason holds a Masters in Public Policy degree and a Masters in Science in energy and resources from the University of California Berkeley, and a degree in biological anthropology from Harvard University.

Jessica Brown

Jessica Brown is an internationally recognized expert and policymaker with 20 years of experience working at the nexus of climate change, development, and poverty reduction in the global South. She has led policy, finance, grantmaking, research, and consulting activities for foundations, NGOs and the United States government.

At ClimateWorks, Jessica leads the Foundation’s work on climate adaptation and resilience. Previously, she spearheaded the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion program as well as led the Clean Cooling Collaborative (formerly named Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program), a $60M+ global program to advance efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all.

Before joining ClimateWorks, Jessica was a foreign affairs officer at the U.S. State Department, where she led the international climate finance negotiations. She has also held various positions at the Overseas Development Institute, Climate Policy Initiative, and California Environmental Associates.

Examples of Jessica’s previous work include: designing equitable governance arrangements for bilateral and multilateral climate funds; leading efforts within the U.S. government to increase overall contributions to international climate aid, including the Obama Administration’s initial $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund; managing the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative; and field research on the social benefits of climate change programs and policies in India, Costa Rica, and Indonesia.

Jessica holds a Masters in International Development Studies from the London School of Economics, a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs, and a Bachelors in Political Science from Barnard College.

Makeeba Browne

Makeeba Browne is the Chief of Equity, Justice and Culture at ClimateWorks Foundation. She brings over 16 years of experience working with foundations, academic institutions, nonprofits to transform ideas into effective strategies and policies that address pressing social issues. Makeeba applies her leadership and operational acumen to engage stakeholders and support programs firmly rooted in equity and justice.

Makeeba rejoined ClimateWorks in 2021 after five years of consulting with various institutions. Through her consulting practice, Makeeba has facilitated small and large group sessions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion for nonprofit, academic, philanthropic, and private organizations. She has also worked with institutions to revamp strategic plans, implement new programs, and design initiatives across many topics, including youth leadership development, equitable climate solutions, accessing arts in youth detention centers, and equitable evaluations for environmental philanthropies in the U.S. and abroad. From 2008-2016, Makeeba was at ClimateWorks, where she provided strategic portfolio management, grantmaking, and operations support.

Makeeba holds a BS in American Studies with an emphasis on race and pop culture from Dickinson College and a certificate for grant writing from Temple University. Outside of the climate and philanthropy space, Makeeba advocates creating inclusive environments on college campuses. She is also a storyteller, using narratives to imagine equitable, thriving futures for BIPOC communities across the globe.

Josefina Cobián

Josefina is Program Manager for ClimateWorks’ Global Intelligence team. She co-manages a cross department initiative, the independent Global Stocktake which secretariat resides at ClimateWorks. As part of the Global Intelligence team, Josefina leads the development of new workstreams on climate impacts and the expansion of social, political, and economic work in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also manages exploratory work on AI and digital infrastructure and technologies. 

Josefina has more than 7 years of environmental work experience in government, private, and non-profit sectors in Mexico, Japan, Honduras, Ecuador and the US. Prior to ClimateWorks, she worked on climate change and forest policy as a project manager for the federal Commission of Forestry in Mexico and as an independent consultant with Mexico and Honduras. Additionally, she was a forest policy fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund where she co-wrote a paper published in Forests journal. Josefina holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and an Environmental Engineering degree from ITESO University in Mexico. When not working on climate change issues, she enjoys traveling, exploring the bay area, baking and painting.

Rebecca Fisher

Rebecca Fisher is the Drive Electric Program Director. She has almost a decade of experience in sustainable international development, climate finance, and electric vehicle technology and policy.

Before joining ClimateWorks, Rebecca worked on light-duty EV grant programs and policy development at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Prior to moving back to the west coast, Rebecca was a climate finance negotiator for the Obama Administration, representing the United States during the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals negotiations. She serves on the National Board of Directors of the Electric Auto Association, where she supports the Association’s mission to accelerate widespread adoption of EVs.

Rebecca holds a Master of Environment Economics and Sustainable International Development from Duke University and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brandeis University.