Our Company

We are a leading authority and essential resource for mastering the intricacies of carbon markets.

Elevate Climate was formed to inform, guide, and connect carbon market stakeholders in their pursuit of climate change mitigation. Our work centers on equipping clients across sectors with top-tier insights and tools to accelerate learning, facilitate compliance, and inform strategies across this rapidly growing space.

Our Story

When climate economist Clayton Munnings first established Munnings Consulting in 2018, it was with a singular focus: to help fulfill the promise of carbon markets. Drawing on over a decade of research and peer-reviewed publications on carbon pricing across six continents, Clayton leveraged his deep academic foundation to advise governments, nonprofits, and private stakeholders alike on using carbon markets effectively to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In 2023, the firm welcomed Alicia Robinson, a Harvard-trained lawyer with expertise in carbon markets, regulatory compliance, and mediation. Her addition coincided with a turning point as the firm expanded beyond technical advice to provide strategic guidance on the policy dynamics shaping carbon market outcomes.

As part of this evolution, we introduced new approaches to support the broader carbon market ecosystem, including convening cross-sector collaborations like the California Carbon Market Collaborative and launching an Insights subscription to help clients navigate policy shifts and simplify policy complexity.

That same year, we rebranded as Elevate Climate to reflect our expanded role: delivering the insight, clarity, and connections organizations need to facilitate better mitigation outcomes.

With experience advising aover 100 clients across sectors and geographies, Elevate Climate brings a unique blend of technical depth, policy acumen, and practical know-how to every engagement.

Qualifications & Past Affiliations

  • University of California, Berkeley 

  • Cornell University 

  • Stanford University 

  • Harvard University 

  • Resources for the Future

  • California Air Resources Board

  • International Emissions Trading Association

  • Latham & Watkins LLP

  • Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Capabilities & Expertise

  • Environmental Economics

  • Climate Policy Design & Analysis

  • Regulatory Compliance

  • Carbon Markets & Pricing Mechanisms

  • Energy & Environmental Law

  • Mediation & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Quantitative Policy Modeling

  • Sustainable Finance & Climate Risk

Market Proficiency

  • California Cap-and-Trade Program

  • Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

  • Washington State Cap-and-Invest

  • China National Emissions Trading System

  • EU Emissions Trading System

  • CORSIA

  • Paris Agreement, Article 6 

  • Voluntary Carbon Markets

Meet the Team

Our team boasts an interdisciplinary background in climate economics, policy, and law, with well over a decade of designing, assessing, and communicating about carbon pricing and policy.

Executive Leadership

  • Chief Executive Officer

    Alicia began her career as an attorney in the climate change and white collar practices of top-5 law firms prior to co-founding Elevate Climate, a carbon markets intelligence firm. Her work has spanned policy development, market analysis, corporate sustainability, and stakeholder engagement.

    Throughout her career, Alicia has worked to promote human rights, advance women’s rights, and mitigate climate change in the United States and abroad with organizations that include UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam America, and The Rotary Club.

    Alicia is also a registered mediator with the U.S. EPA and has experience working with diverse stakeholders to build consensus and common understanding on controversial issues. 

    Alicia received a B.A. from Stanford University in International Relations (with Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa) and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Alicia is based in Berkeley, CA.

Advisory Board

  • Advisory Board Chairman

    Clayton a widely published climate economist with over four dozen scholarly articles and policy papers on carbon pricing. Clayton has also led research and advised on the design of carbon taxes, cap-and-trade programs, and other carbon pricing policies on six continents.  

    Clayton has held multiple expert and advisory roles including as Board Member at Earthshot, member of Colorado’s GEMM Trading Technical Working Group, and Expert to the International Initiative for Development of Article 6 Methodology Tools. 

    Clayton holds an A.S. from Monroe Community College, B.S. from Cornell University (with Distinction), M.S. from UC Berkeley, and is completing his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. He is a first-generation college student and a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholar through their low-income high-ability “Pathways to Success” program. Clayton is based in Berkeley, CA.