Summary. Carbon finance and investing is a crucial area of development in climate and sustainable finance. Fund flows have been increasing exponentially and currently only the tip of the iceberg can be seen from the perspective of opportunities. It is a topic which is complex and, in some marketplaces, generates quite a bit of controversy. The Asia Climate Capital Podcast guest, Charles Bedford, unpacks carbon from the sustainable finance and investment perspective in general and in particular in the Asia Pacific context. Charles is an active participant in the region’s carbon markets. He has been involved in conservation and climate for over a quarter of a century and today plays a leading role in carbon related finance in both the investment as well as academic world. Charles is also the host of the Smarter Carbon podcast. Note: all opinions are personal and do not reflect those of present or past employers. About Charles. Charles was born in the UK and grew up in the US.  He currently serves as Chief Impact Officer at Carbon Growth Partners, a leading global investment manager in carbon finance, a principal at Keelback Consulting, a sustainability advisory firm, and as Adjunct Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He recently stepped down as the AP Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy (TNC).  Before that, he led TNC’s Colorado Chapter in the United States. Prior to joining TNC, Charles served as director of the Colorado State Land Board, overseer of 3 million hectares of state lands, Legal Counsel to Colorado Governor Roy Romer and attorney with the firm of Kutak Rock. He is the author of journal articles, blogs and a book on land tenure and conservation.  He graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law. Production and artwork: Joseph Jacobelli. Music: The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka. Feedback: [email protected].