WASHINGTON — Jan. 23, 2025 | Verra announced today that Candace Vinke will step into the role of chief program development and innovation officer starting February 21. In this role, Candace will lead Verra’s Program Development and Innovation Department (PDID), driving the continued evolution of Verra’s high-integrity standards programs to maximize their impact on climate action and sustainable development. She will also oversee the development of new standards programs and methodologies.

Candace Vinke brings a wealth of experience and a diverse background in environmental markets, sustainability, and poverty reduction. Since joining Verra in 2020 as director, nature-based innovation, she has played a critical role in advancing our work on nature-based solutions and spearheaded the development of Verra’s Scope 3 Standard Program.

In previous positions, Candace advised Canadian governments on their carbon policy and guided several multinational corporations in their emissions management strategies.

Candace succeeds Toby Janson-Smith, who will step down after almost 12 years of service to the organization. Toby has been instrumental in evolving and scaling Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program and in expanding Verra’s portfolio of standards programs. He led the creation of the original VCS framework covering Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU); broadened the scope of the VCS Program to include new sectors such as blue carbon and carbon capture and storage (CCS); and oversaw the development of the first framework for jurisdictional REDD+ within the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

Under Toby’s guidance, Verra took on the administration of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Program and developed the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program to credibly assess sustainable development benefits across project types. Additionally, he oversaw Verra’s expansion into new areas through various initiatives, including the Nature Framework and the Plastic Waste Reduction Standard Program.

"We are excited to welcome Candace to this role. She has demonstrated a keen effectiveness in advancing market-based climate solutions and has longstanding experience working with both the private and public sector. She has significantly strengthened Verra’s work on nature-based approaches and has also overseen the development of a program that certifies Scope 3 interventions. She is well positioned to lead Verra’s work on further evolving and expanding Verra’s standards programs to maximize their climate impact."
“We are also deeply grateful for Toby’s contributions and the impact he’s had on Verra’s work and the VCM as a whole. His visionary thinking and thoughtful leadership in addressing complex environmental issues have left a profound mark. We wish Toby all the best in his next chapter.”

Mandy Rambharos, CEO, Verra

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