Aimee Barnes

FOUNDER and CEO, HUA NANI PARTNERS

2018 Government Award Winner

Aimee Barnes has nearly 20 years’ experience in climate, energy and sustainability, spanning the state, federal and international levels, and the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She is the founder and CEO of Hua Nani Partners, a consulting practice focused on seeding the next generation of climate and energy solutions. In 2022, Barnes was appointed by Hawai’i’s Governor David Ige to serve on the Hawai’i State Board for Land and Natural Resources.

Barnes served previously as Senior Advisor to California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., Deputy Secretary for Border and Intergovernmental Relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency, and was a partner at Allotrope Partners. Earlier in her career, she worked on climate issues internationally, in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, at the carbon markets firm EcoSecurities, and at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Barnes founded Powerwomen, a database of leading women in climate change and energy. She also co-founded Bright Spot Network, which supports parents facing cancer while raising young children. She has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and a BA from Dartmouth College in Environmental Studies.