Biography
Dr. Christina McCain, Founder & Principal
Christina has over 25 years of experience focused on the drivers and impacts of land use change, including the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of the destruction of forests and other ecosystems. Beginning her career as a field ecologist in Latin America, she later became a senior international and domestic environmental policy advisor and advocate. She has focused the last 15 years of her career on the policy and economic tools to prevent catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss using market-based approaches. Christina is focused on the urgent need to find more sustainable economic pathways to the future that benefit both people and the environment we live in. Her work is centered around creating new opportunities, innovative partnerships, and strategic roadmaps to drive shared purpose and achieve win-win outcomes through both policy and business approaches. She has worked closely with local and national governments, civil society, businesses and academic experts in Mexico and Brazil.
As a life-long Latin America specialist who believes in the critical importance of communication to build relationships and achieve desired outcomes, Christina is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Christina’s prior positions include senior-level roles in environmental non-profits and philanthropy. From 2006-2009 she served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State working on issues related to scientific cooperation, environment, and international trade. She holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami, and a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Approach:
I partner with innovative individuals and organizations committed to changing business as usual. Over two decades, I have been a scientist, a U.S. diplomat, a climate policy and carbon markets expert, and a donor. From muddy boots to market approaches, to moving millions – my work has led me to one conclusion: Money needs to work for people and planet.
Over more than two decades climate and environmental work, I’ve learned three key lessons which inform my philosophy, approach, and have led to serious results:
- If money can drive environmental degradation, it can also prevent and reverse it – when the rules and incentives are right.
- To make real change, don’t compete for space. Create more – and bring others in.
- Listen carefully, think openly, and new pathways will emerge.
Putting these principles into practice, I create opportunities, partnerships, and roadmaps to drive shared purpose and achieve win-win outcomes. I look forward to putting these skills to work for clients who seek solutions through a combination of traditional subject matter expertise and innovative thinking and partnerships.
What is Ecosophy?:
“Ecosophy” is a philosophy derived from the basic ecological principles of interconnectedness. From business practices to policy, from sustainable food and agriculture to forest management and carbon markets – the way we design and implement has ecosystem effects all around us. Business and policy choices alike – from the food we eat to the ecosystems we manage – connect us to people and landscapes across the globe. Ecosophy highlights the importance of working actively together as integral to addressing shared challenges.