Daniela (Dana) Chiriac is an impact finance expert with 15+ years’ experience of providing advisory services, market analysis, and building partnerships in climate and nature finance as well as sustainable development. At CPI, she leads the Impact Hub of the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (The Lab). 

Dana worked for six years at CPI where she led the Secretariat for the ClimateShot Investor Coalition (CLIC) and the Sustainable Agriculture stream of The Lab. She also recently worked at the UN Environment Program’s Climate Finance Unit, where she conducted market research and analysis on innovative finance facilities focusing on climate and nature. Dana has also worked at iDE on market-based approaches to increase climate resilience of smallholder farmers and held roles with European consulting companies.

Throughout her career, Dana has advised development finance institutions on positive impact measurement and high-integrity standards for investments in agrifood systems and nature. She supported fund managers, financial institutions, and international NGOs on designing blended finance mechanisms that generate climate mitigation and adaptation benefits through land restoration, climate smart agriculture, and renewable energy. She led research and analysis of global climate financial flows to agrifood systems, and on the levels of finance needed to ensure their transition to low-carbon and climate resilient pathways. 

Dana holds a MSc in Environmental Economics from the University of London, as well as a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Bucharest.