Our Story.

We are environmental and social governance professionals and have been working together for several years, in numerous countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as international policy fora.

In 2019, we decided to combine our skills and establish Takin Consulting, with a desire to contribute to improving the way natural resources are managed and governed around the world and a commitment to applying a creative, solution-oriented and pragmatic approach to our work.

The name of the company is a reference to the Takin, Bhutan’s national animal. It is a tribute to the positive experience and inspiration gained while working there. We are a registered company in France.

Our Expertise.

The origin of our technical knowledge on E&S safeguards stems from extensive research in international law (international conventions, agreements and regional jurisprudence) covering the areas traditionally covered by safeguards, inluding:
• Human rights
• Biodiversity, natural resource management and pollution
• Labour
• Land rights and tenure
• Indigenous Peoples
• Gender
• Climate Change
• Stakeholder Engagement in development and conservation
• International trade in wild Flora and Fauna

We also have working knowledge and experience of the safeguard frameworks of:
• Multilateral environmental funds (GEF, GCF)
• National development agencies and institutions (AfD, KfW)
• International development and conservation organisations (UNDP, IUCN)
• International conservation NGOs (WWF, TNC, CI)
• Voluntary standards and safeguard frameworks, including CCB, Plan Vivo, ART TREEs, FSC, RSPO, Rainforest Alliance Standard.

Our Team.

Ugo Ribet

Co-Founder

Social and Environmental Safeguards Specialist

Ugo is an international safeguards specialist with +14 years experience working on social and environmental governance and safeguard processes, due diligence, evaluations, risk assessments and stakeholder engagement in the forest, protected areas, land use, and marine sectors in +20 countries, at the regional, national and sub-national level with governments, local communities, indigenous groups, civil society and private sector.

He has expertise in climate change policy, conservation, protected area management, REDD+, forests, land-use, oceans and natural resource governance. Proven experience in policy and legal analysis, social and environmental impact/risk screenings and assessments, development of safeguard management frameworks/plans and monitoring systems, stakeholder consultations and capacity building, project evaluation and due diligence for a variety of partners and funders including World Bank, UNDP, IUCN, IADB, GIZ, CI, SNV, FAO, KfW, CAFI, WWF, GEF, CEB in the capacity of advisor, expert and team leader.

Ugo is fluent in English, French and Spanish, and experience working in/on Bolivia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Panama, Peru, Tajikistan, Uruguay and Vietnam.

Sebastien Korwin-Wroblewski

Co-Founder

Social and Environmental Safeguards Specialist

Sebastien specialises in environmental and natural resource governance (forests, including REDD+, wildlife and protected area management), and more specifically in environmental and social safeguards. His knowledge base combines international and regional, social and environmental legal and policy frameworks (such as the UNFCCC, the CBD, CITES, and the EU FLEGT), as well as the safeguard frameworks, policies and procedures of multilateral donor agencies and NGOs (incl. UNDP, FAO, World Bank, IUCN, GCF, CAFI, KfW and WWF).

Sebastien has extensive experience carrying out field project focused environmental and social impact assessments and subsequently developing risk mitigation/management frameworks. This includes developing analytical methodologies and tools, desk-based research, and carrying out stakeholder consultations, including national and sub-national governments, local communities, Indigenous Peoples’ groups, civil society, the private sector and international organisations. Sebastien also has experience providing capacity and advisory support to organisations, assisting them to understand and implement their E&S safeguard commitments. This includes developing and delivering training curricula, mentoring national focal points, quality control of project screenings, technical oversight of consultants and their E&S related deliverables.

Sebastien is fluent in English, as well as French and has worked in numerous countries in Africa and Asia.

Our Associates.

Joanna Pickering

Legal, Policy and Safeguards Expert

Joanna is a lawyer and researcher with a background in human rights and environmental law and policy. Her previous work has focused on land tenure, legal pluralism and law reform in the context of natural resource governance. In particular, she has worked on issues related to forest governance in producer countries and has published research concerning the impact of mining activities on local and indigenous communities. In addition, Joanna has experience in capacity-building and project management.

She has previously worked with a range of organisations, including the University of Cape Town and ClientEarth. She is fluent in English and French and has experience working in / on, amongst others, South Africa, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Indonesia and Malaysia. $

Joanna is based in South Africa.