Richard H. Lawrence, Jr.

“So many people feel strongly about climate change, and seek an effective way to help. Cool Effect was established precisely for that purpose. It is a reliable platform for people to confidently engage in the fight against climate change, by giving to the projects most effective at reducing global warming gases, with verifiable results, and with a high standard of consistent excellence and transparency.”

After several years as a volunteer with OCHO, a medical brigade in Honduras, Richard understood that there was a need for high-quality fuel-efficient stoves throughout rural Honduras. In 2004, Richard established Proyecto Mirador Foundation with co-founder Doña Emilia Mendoza to construct plancha stoves in rural homes.

More than 150,000 stoves have been constructed since inception, with the majority being funded through the sale of Gold Standard carbon credits.

Proyecto Mirador became a Gold Standard carbon project in 2009 and has undergone eight verifications to date. Through that process, Richard has gained an in-depth knowledge of carbon credits, the benefits they bring to poor communities, and the key aspects of carbon credit certification, documentation, and verification. He has helped guide our vision of “Carbon Done Correctly,” in order to create trust in the Cool Effect process of selecting and reviewing projects.

In addition to a full-time job, and his work with Cool Effect and Mirador, Richard is also a member of the board of the National Audubon Society, where he is helping shape other initiatives to fight climate change.

He believes Cool Effect gives the millions of Americans who want to fight climate change exactly what they were asking for by making it easy for them to direct capital to the highest quality carbon reduction projects.