Tara O'Shea

Director of Forest Programs
Planet

Tara O'Shea is Director of Forest Programs at Planet, mission-driven aerospace and data analytics company.

Tara is passionate about using technology to help realign natural, social, and economic systems. As the Director of Forest Programs at Planet, she oversees the company's strategy for leveraging its unprecedented earth observation capacity to help improve the world's ability to monitor global forests today - and account for the value of forests in the global economy tomorrow.

Trained in the natural sciences, Tara began her career advancing ecosystem services research at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. In 2012, she helped start a nonprofit focused on engaging the private sector in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), a financial mechanism for sustainable land use under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Prior to joining Planet, Tara advised several foundations and investment firms on integrating the reality of climate and environmental change into their portfolios, including organizing the Climate & Capital Summit that brought together investors representing over $1 Trillion AUM alongside the COP21 in Paris.

Tara holds a Master's of Environmental Management and International Development from Duke University, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Gettysburg College.

Tara O'Shea is tagged in 7 stories.

See Change: Real-Time Visibility Into Land Changes Key to Ending Deforestation

Innovation & Technology / With technological advances in Earth observation, we may be only a few years away from screening commodity index funds for environmental risks the same way we account for other financially material risks in public equities today. - 5 years ago

Sustainable Brands Reveals Initial Conference Details for Annual Flagship Conference

Press Release / 3,000+ brand and innovation leaders to convene June 3-6 at SB’19 Detroit SAN FRANCISCO, November 27, 2018 – Sustainable Brands® recently released the event brochure for its annual flagship conference: SB’19 Detroit. More than 3,000 business leaders are expected to gather June 3-6, 2019 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan to learn how brands can stay relevant by delivering the Good Life consumers seek today, marked by balanced simplicity and connections to family, community and the environment. - 5 years ago

Prince Ea Partners with Stand For Trees to Activate Grassroots Climate Action

Collaboration & Co-Creation / As we approach the world’s 21st year of international climate change negotiations (let that sink in), it has never been more critical for citizens to begin demanding and building climate action. That is exactly why Prince Ea has teamed up with Code REDD's Stand For Trees campaign to create an unprecedented reflection on the consequences of our climate inaction, and an inspired vision of collective change. - 9 years ago

New UN-Backed Report Calls for More Private Sector Engagement in REDD+

Collaboration & Co-Creation / What is REDD+?Accounting for 15 percent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation has turned what should be our largest terrestrial carbon sink into our second largest source of climate-changing emissions. Although deforestation is estimated to cost the global economy $2-5 trillion each year, we continue to place higher value on cut forests than standing.Why are we perpetuating such perverse economic incentives, and what can we do to create a more sustainable paradigm for economic development? - 10 years ago

Ecosystem Services & Corporate Sustainability: Integrating the Value of Forests Into Business with REDD+

New Metrics / Ecosystem services — or the flows of natural capital from the environment into human economies and societies – have traditionally been thought of and treated as ‘free,’ resulting in their mismanagement and degradation. Emerging research is beginning to change this paradigm by quantifying the values of ecosystem service flows — and the implications are becoming especially relevant for corporations. - 11 years ago

Obama's Climate Plan Latest in Series of Public-Private Actions to Advance REDD+

Organizational Governance / President Obama’s National Climate Action Plan, released on June 25th, calls for strong action to protect remaining tropical forests through a commitment to lead international initiatives in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+).But Obama is not the first to acknowledge the vital role that forests play in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Nor is he the only one currently calling for urgent action on tropical forest conservation. - 11 years ago

Greenhouse Gas Regulations: Reframing Risk Management as Opportunity Realization

Organizational Governance / With a number of greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations emerging — including California’s AB32 — many companies are beginning to develop internal departments and strategies to manage the risk of impending climate regulation. Looking at emissions reductions solely from a risk-management perspective, however, can cost companies the opportunity to realize additional business value from their investments. Emerging compliance markets - 11 years ago