Climate Week NYC | From Commitments to Credibility: The Role of Certification & Verification in Sustainability

Join Preferred by Nature during Climate Week NYC 2026 for a panel discussion and networking reception with leaders from across certification, standards and sustainability. Event schedule: 4:00 PM | Doors open, arrival & refreshments4:30 PM | Welcome keynote4:40 PM | Panel discussion5:20 PM | Audience Q&A5:40–7:00 PM | Networking reception Guests are welcome to join us for the panel only or stay afterward for drinks and networking. Featuring speakers from FSC US, RSPO, Verra, B Lab, and Rainforest Alliance For decades, companies have used third-party certification and verification to manage risk, strengthen responsible sourcing and demonstrate progress against corporate sustainability commitments. Today, those tools are being asked to do more. Companies are navigating increasingly ambitious climate and biodiversity commitments, new due-diligence requirements such as the EU Deforestation Regulation, and greater scrutiny of the sustainability claims they make to customers, investors and regulators. So how should certification and independent assurance evolve to continue meeting the needs of business? Senior representatives from across forestry, agriculture, carbon and corporate sustainability will discuss: how companies are using certification and verification as tools for risk management and to demonstrate progress against sustainability commitments; the growing role of independent assurance in supporting credible environmental and sustainability claims; how certification can support responsible sourcing, due diligence and emerging regulatory requirements; where biodiversity, climate resilience, adaptation and living incomes fit into existing systems; and how certification and verification need to evolve as corporate sustainability strategies and expectations continue to change. The panel will be followed by audience Q&A and a networking happy hour reception. Speakers: Cameron Plese: RSPO, Head of North America and Head of Government Affairs Christa Anderson: RFA, Senior Director of Climate Julianne (Julie) Baroody: Verra, Senior Director Certification Marcel Fukayama: B Lab, Chief Impact & Movement Officer Sarah Billig: FSC US, President Who should attend The event is intended for professionals working in corporate sustainability, responsible sourcing and procurement, climate and carbon, forestry and agriculture, legal and compliance, sustainability communications, finance, and certification or assurance. It is also for brands and companies that use or invest in certification and want to be part of the conversation about the value these systems provide and how they need to evolve. Whether your organization has relied on certification for years or is considering how independent assurance fits into its broader sustainability strategy, the discussion will offer practical perspectives on where these systems add value today and what will be expected of them next. Advance registration is required and space is limited. Registration requests will be reviewed to help keep the audience relevant and the networking meaningful. Learn more about Preferred by Nature: here Speaker Bios Cameron Plese is the Head of North America and the Head of Government Affairs for RSPO. Prior to his time with the RSPO, Cameron worked in international environmental conservation and policy in Latin America, East Africa, the United States, and Asia while working with various international organizations and NGOs. He holds a master’s degree in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Portland State University. Christa Anderson is the newly appointed Senior Director of Climate at the Rainforest Alliance. Christa brings nearly 20 years of experience across conservation, climate change, and land use. Most recently, she served as director of climate science at WWF, where she developed and launched the Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) guidance under the Science‑Based Targets initiative—a framework that has since been adopted by more than 400 companies. Prior to that, her career spanned conservation nonprofits, the World Bank, and the US government. Christa has published in many scientific journals and was a contributing author to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Her work has been covered in popular media outlets such as The Washington Post and NPR’s Science Friday. She is a visiting assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Macalester College. She has a PhD in Environmental Science from Standford University and a Master's from Yale. Julianne (Julie) Baroody is Senior Director, Certification at Verra. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring that project review processes are effectively and efficiently managed to deliver a high level of quality and meet defined service-level agreements. Before her current role, Julie coordinated Verra’s forest carbon efforts and led VCS Program Development. Previously, she focused on adding value to plastic waste through Verra’s leadership of the 3R Initiative, led the development of the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta), managed the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Program, and supported governments, NGOs, and the private sector in African and Central American countries in their use of Verra’s land-based frameworks. Julie started her career at the Rainforest Alliance. Marcel Fukayama is the Chief Impact & Movement Officer at B Lab,where he leads the organization's global policy, advocacy, and movement-building efforts,positioning B Lab as a catalyst for structural and cultural change across the global economy. An impact entrepreneur, cancer survivor, and movements orchestrator with over 25 years of experience, Marcel's journey with the B Corp movement began 15 years ago when one of his ventures earned B Corp Certification. He then co-founded Sistema B Brasil, serving as Executive Director and Board Chair, and has held multiple stra