In February, we convened the Perseus User Needs & Impact Advisory Group for the first meeting of 2024, co-chaired by Sage and Icebreaker One. The meeting aimed to set the scene for 2024, outlining the overall aims of Project Perseus and encouraging collaboration between the Advisory Groups.

Meeting Summary

  • It was agreed:
    • to amend the definition of the ‘financial provider’ to include Banks and Lenders.
    • that the use cases would be covered by the AG1 team, meeting separately as a WG, and to allow broader discussion amongst members.
    • that the user needs will be discussed in Working Groups to allow for focused work to determine stakeholder needs. Discussions will then be taken to the relevant Advisory Groups (2-5).
  • It was noted that the governance and structure of the Advisory Groups for 2024 was presented to AG1:
    • The purpose of the Advisory Groups will be to define the direction, scope and oversight, and adopt recommendations made by the WGs. AGs will report into the Steering Group and meet quarterly.
    • Members will need the ability to approve requests and processes raised in the AG meetings on behalf of their organisations.
    • There are five pillars of AG activity: User Needs, Technical, Data Licensing and Legal, Engagement and Communications, Policy.
    • Working Groups (WG) will be introduced to explore specific issues in depth and that the AG1 Working Groups proposed include:
      • Use cases for pilot
      • User needs
      • Assurance 
      • Ecosystem map 
      • Future use cases
    • It is important to ensure documents are read prior to meetings to enable discussion.
  • It was noted that priorities for 2024 are:
    • Q1: Update existing Members and gain new members; initiate detailed design for governance, assurance, legal terms, codes/regs; design onboarding for pilot with members, map data flows from reporting solutions to banks.
    • Q2: Members renewed and expanded; register members in TF; refine prototype and build learnings into Pilot Plan; design and agree assurance terms, legal terms, codes/regs.
    • Q3: Pilot onboarding & implementation; register members in pilot scheme, engagement workshops; pilot communications design & engagement; legal terms signed; code interventions initiated.
    • Q4: Pilot live; user feedback; member-led communications; Perseus report and 2025 plan.
  • It was discussed that governance will be crucial when going to market to ensure credibility and for senior endorsement.
  • It was discussed that the Members will need input from internal departments (e.g. legal) before supporting or endorsing work in the AGs.

Attendees:

Co-Chairs:

Gavin Starks, Founder and CEO, Icebreaker One

Duncan Oswald, Climate Science Lead, Sage

Members:

Aneysha Minocha, Quantenergy

Leon Jayasinghe, Tide

Madhuban Kumar, Carbon Laces

Martina Colman, Climate Essentials

Oliver Thornton, Clear Bank

Phil Rolling, CBN Expert

Tracie Callaghan, Natwest

Open Volt

Apologies:

Andrew Griffiths, Planet Mark

Ian Sutherland, Tide

Jaya Chakrabarti, Semantrica Ltd t/a projectvana.org

Lynne Baber, PwC

Paul Clark, Smart DCC

Yentl Staelens, Connect Earth