"Fond tributes paid to Mikkel Larsen, a respected figure in environmental conservation and carbon management, following his passing"
Danish Finance Expert Mikkel Larsen Passes Away at 50
Mikkel Larsen, a prominent figure in the field of sustainable finance, passed away on January 23, 2022, at the age of 50. Known for his dedication to environmental causes and his work in establishing Singapore as a regional hub for carbon markets, Larsen's impact on the industry will be felt for years to come.
Larsen co-conceptualized the creation of a carbon services and trading hub in Singapore that later became CIX. He was also one of the most influential figures in establishing Singapore as a regional carbon markets hub. His work at CIX culminated in the exchange becoming the first in Asia to list carbon credits.
In addition to his work at CIX, Larsen was a key player in integrating sustainability into the operations and policies of Southeast Asia's largest bank, DBS. Under his leadership, DBS became the first listed company in Singapore to integrate sustainability into financial reporting, a significant achievement in the region.
Larsen was also a driving force behind the development of the role of a chief sustainability officer (CSO) in a financial institution. He led a DBS working group for the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) to help corporates better understand their impact on nature.
In the world of finance, Larsen was a banker who pushed the nature agenda. Genevieve Ding, Asia Pacific head of carbon credits and nature-based solutions at e-commerce firm Amazon, called him a 'genuine leader' in the conservation and carbon space. Fabian Huwyler, managing partner at Swiss green finance firm Posaidon Capital, described him as a 'banker who pushes the nature agenda.' Steve Howard, vice chairman of sustainability for Singapore state investment firm Temasek, praised Larsen for his intense passion and commitment to making the world a better, fairer, kinder place.
Larsen was religiously committed to leading an environmentally-conscious lifestyle. He considered himself an animal rights activist first, carbon financier second. In an article last December, he deliberated over the growing requirements for carbon projects to prove their validity, the additional cost for project owners, and the impact on buyers of carbon credits.
Tributes to Larsen's work and character have been pouring in from around the world. He will be remembered as a compassionate, generous, and intensely human leader. The tags associated with this story include biodiversity, ESG, financing, decarbonisation, and sustainable finance. The topics related to this story include Carbon & Climate, Policy & Finance, Asia Pacific, Europe, Singapore, and Southeast Asia. The SDGs relevant to this story are Climate (SDG 13), Oceans (SDG 14), Biodiversity (SDG 15), Peace (SDG 16), and Partnerships (SDG 17).
Despite his significant contributions to the field, there are no search results indicating the organizations where Larsen last served on the board before his death. However, his legacy will continue to influence the industry for years to come.
