Jacqueline Westley specializes in developing, launching, and managing nature-based solutions (NbS) and climate finance transactions. Jacqueline serves as a core member of the NbS Origination Platform (NbS-OP), a new initiative to originate, structure, resource, and implement NbS interventions for private and public actors. This platform will demonstrate and set the bar for high-integrity climate and nature impacts and benefit sharing.
Jacqueline brings a wealth of impact investment facilitation and transaction skills and climate and conservation finance experience to WWF. Before joining the organization in 2022, she structured and originated climate and conservation finance transactions and projects at NatureVest, the impact investing business unit of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). At TNC, she helped launch a $600 million+ collaboration with BTG Pactual; assisted with the management of a $130 million forest fund, which was named Environmental Finance’s Impact Fund of the Year; led the fund’s development of utility-scale solar on former coal mines; structured and raised $10 million of capital backed by forward carbon credit purchase agreements for the pilot stage of the Family Forest Carbon Program; and worked on the Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst.
At Calvert Impact Capital and RSF Social Finance, she served on the investment teams, placing capital globally for social and environmental benefit as well as financial returns. Deal highlights from her tenure include the purchase of the Forest Resilience Bond, which provides financing for forest restoration work that reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires; purchase of the first-of-its kind Environmental Impact Bond issued by DC Water linking conservation outcomes with finance; project finance for anaerobic biodigesters; community-based sustainable fisheries finance; and fair-trade finance for agricultural cooperatives.
Jacqueline holds an MBA in finance and social entrepreneurship from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. At Fuqua, she was an Impact Investing Fellow and a merit scholarship recipient. She also holds a B.A. in economics and business from the College of William & Mary.
