Bella Tonkonogy is Senior Director, Global Programs at Climate Policy Initiative, an analysis and advisory organization that works to accelerate climate investment around the world.

A globally recognized climate finance and policy expert, Bella has advised governments, investors, and businesses for more than 20 years on practical instruments, approaches, and policies that address climate change and support economic development. Bella’s work has supported the mobilization of more than USD 4.5 billion for climate investments in developing economies, the strengthening of bankable climate project pipelines for cities, and the implementation of pragmatic reforms to increase the effectiveness of public finance and the international financial architecture.

Bella has served as a Senior Advisor on climate change to US Treasury Secretary Yellen, bridging US Treasury’s domestic and international functions to advance policies on climate, trade, and competitiveness. Bella began her career at the US Environmental Protection Agency, working with some of the first Fortune 500 companies to measure greenhouse gas emissions and set targets, and later advising US Congressional staff on the international competitiveness implications of cap-and-trade policies. She managed global environmental funds at the US Treasury, conducting due diligence and Board oversight, and has advised international organizations and clean tech startups on attracting and deploying catalytic capital.

Bella holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, an MSc from Imperial College London, and a BA from the University of California-Berkeley.  She is the proud mother of a rambunctious boy, wife of an accomplished craftsman, and spends her free time restoring seven beautiful acres in Virginia.