Established in 1999 by world leaders in conservation, business, human rights and capital markets, SFM intends to demonstrate that reversal of tropical and subtropical forest degradation and mitigation of global warming can be accomplished by private sector investment meeting the highest commercial, environmental and social standards. SFM is currently raising $100 million to invest in sustainable forestry and agro-forestry projects on a global basis.

Mr Bettelheim is a world-recognised expert in the law and regulation of financial products particularly derivative products. His more than 40 publications include co-editorship of the Royal Society's recent volume in its Philosophical Transactions: "Carbon, biodiversity, conservation and income: an analysis of a free-market approach to land-use change and forestry in developing and developed countries." The work, now considered one of the leading texts on the subject, includes his article, "Carbon Sinks and Emissions Trading under the Kyoto Protocol". He is a frequent lecturer in his field and was recently invited by Sir Crispin Tickell and Professor Norman Myers to address a seminar in Green College Oxford on "Emergency Responses to Climate Change."

Called to the English Bar in 1979, Mr Bettelheim is also admitted to the bars of New York and California and was for many years the resident partner in London of a prominent Wall Street law firm. Among the many clients he has represented are several of the world's largest commodity and derivatives exchanges including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade, Board of Trade Clearing Corporation, Globex, Comex, London Stock Exchange, London Metal Exchange, CEDEL – Clearstream, MEFF Financial Futures & Options Exchange and the Hanover Electricity Exchange.

See also: 04:00 pm ‘Ecology and Derivatives - the way forward’

See also: 04:30 pm ‘Emissions, Weather, Electricity’