IETA Council Announcement

Forrister will remain as CEO until his replacement is named and a transition process is completed in early 2027.

IETA Council Chair Mary Grady stated, “On behalf of IETA Council, I would like to thank Dirk for his incredible leadership over the past 14 years. He presided over difficult times in the 2010s when markets were in the doldrums. In the 2020s he navigated the global pandemic while shepherding the growth of IETA to its highest membership levels ever.

“He has built a formidable policy team that is working around the globe to support the implementation of carbon markets as an essential climate solution. We are deeply grateful for his tireless work to lay a strong foundation for the next era of IETA leadership and look forward to celebrating with him throughout the rest of this year.”  

“Serving as IETA’s CEO has been the highlight of my career,” Forrister said. “Over the past 14 years, the IETA community has made a profound difference. We helped revitalise the EU ETS after the Great Recession. We championed the business community’s efforts to support the inclusion of Article 6 in the Paris Agreement. We helped new markets emerge in China and across Asia. The future is ripe with opportunity”

“I’m grateful to the incredibly talented IETA staff, a visionary governing Council and a bold and steadfast group of Members,” Forrister added. “They’ve made it a thrill to lead the organisation through the tough times and into a vibrant future of climate action and market growth.”

Under Forrister’s leadership, IETA nearly doubled in size – from 155 members in 2012 to over 300 today, from a staff of 20 to over 40. In recent years, the organisation has expanded beyond Europe and North America and into Asia, Latin America and Africa, where new carbon markets are taking shape. IETA now has a staff presence in 12 countries, and collectively they speak over 25 languages.

“IETA’s mission remains vital to the success of the Paris climate agreement, because carbon markets are the best way of attracting private sector finance into climate action,” Grady commented. “We will make sure the policy agenda advances as this leadership transition takes place.”

“I’ll be proud to pass the baton to a new CEO, knowing that my team will give steadfast support– and that our work will continue at pace,” Forrister added. “We have a strong membership, healthy finances and a solid work plan for helping new carbon markets grow to meet the Paris climate goals.”

The IETA Council’s Succession Planning Committee will oversee the appointment of an executive search firm to assist in recruitment. Interested candidates are invited to submit expressions of interest in the CEO position to Chris Winch, IETA’s People Operations Director (winch@ieta.org).