Today, the Green Finance Institute announced Emma Howard Boyd CBE has been appointed Interim Chair with immediate effect. The appointment follows the tragic death of Sir Roger Gifford, the Institute’s founding Chair, on 25 May 2021.
Emma Howard Boyd has worked in financial services for over 25 years, in corporate finance and fund management and is Chair of the Environment Agency in England. Emma will help drive the Green Finance Institute’s work ahead of the UNCCC COP26 conference this November in Glasgow and will also be working with the Green Finance Institute Board in conducting an open process to appoint a permanent Chair, with proceedings set to begin in September, and likely to result in an official announcement in early 2022.
Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Interim Chair of the Green Finance Institute, said: “Sir Roger’s work to help investors address the greatest challenge of our time has never been more important and I am committed to helping the Green Finance Institute continue his legacy.
“In the last month alone we have seen fatal heat in Canada, devastating floods in Germany and a climate induced famine in Madagascar, the Green Finance Institute can help investors understand the opportunity in creating a more resilient global economy for all. The UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said he wants the financial sector to play a central role in delivering the UK’s net zero target and ambition for a ‘nature positive’ future. The Green Finance Institute will help show the way.”
New Advisory Board
Today, the Green Finance Institute also announces the formation of an Advisory Board, which will provide strategic advice and support for the Institute’s mission, political strategy and will assist in amplifying the Institute’s impact through their strong leadership in green finance.
The Advisory Board is formed of eight environmental and sustainability leaders with a diverse range of knowledge, experience and capabilities, drawn from policy and industry backgrounds.
The Advisory Board members are:
• Emma Howard Boyd – Chair, Environment Agency and Interim Chair, Green Finance Institute
• Lord Nicholas Stern – IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, London School of Economics
• Sarah Breeden – Executive Director, Financial Stability, Strategy and Risk, Bank of England
• Fiona Reynolds – CEO, Principles for Responsible Investment
• James Cameron – Senior Climate Advisor & Founder, James Cameron + Co
• Dr Emily Shuckburgh – Director, Cambridge Zero
• Sheldon Mills – Executive Director of Consumers and Competition, FCA
• Rt Hon Nicholas Hurd – Chair of Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, Chair of Impact Investing Platform (ix) Investments
The advisory board will champion the work of the Green Finance Institute and serve as ambassadors for the GFI. Their representations however will not bind the GFI, and these roles are unremunerated.
Dr Rhian Mari-Thomas OBE, Chief Executive of the Green Finance Institute, said: “We are delighted to welcome Emma as our Interim Chair and all the members of our Advisory Board in what is a critical year for green finance. COP26 in November provides a crucial moment to make real progress on mobilising capital towards tackling climate change, protecting nature and biodiversity, and creating a just post-Covid recovery.
“At the GFI, we take a ruthlessly practical approach to meeting these challenges, bringing the public, private and philanthropic sectors together to co-create, deploy and scale the solutions and mechanisms needed to unblock exponential growth in green finance at a sector, domestic and international level. The immense experience in green finance and environmental leadership Emma and the Advisory Board members bring to the GFI will be key to ensure we continue to channel capital at pace and scale towards real economy outcomes that create jobs and increase prosperity for all.”
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Contact
Dafydd Rees / Claire Barratt / Tim Le Couilliard – 07913 698298, greenfinanceinstitute@secnewgate.co.uk.
Sir Roger Gifford
Sir Roger Gifford, the Green Finance Institute’s previous Chair, died of myeloma on 25th May 2021. Sir Roger’s achievements in business, philanthropy and for the environment were enormous. He was an early champion of Green Finance. He chaired the Green Finance Taskforce, the Green Finance Initiative and was instrumental in establishing the Green Finance Institute, and stewarding its early success. He leaves a strong legacy, not least his recent work on the Dasgupta Review, which fired the starting gun on embedding nature and biodiversity into financial decision making. The task ahead for the Green Finance Institute, and the industry as a whole, is building on that legacy in the lead up to towards COP26 and in the continued effort to halt climate change, protect the rich biodiversity of the planet and advance green finance as an agent for driving a sustainable economic transition. across the world.
Sir Roger was an inspirational leader and will be greatly missed.
To read a eulogy delivered at his funeral on 1st July by our CEO, Rhian-Mari Thomas, click here.
Emma Howard Boyd CBE
Emma Howard Boyd has spent over 25 years working in the finance industry and is Chair of the Environment Agency, an Ex officio board member of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), an Advisor to the Board of Trade, and a Global Ambassador for UN’s Race to Zero and Race to Resilience ahead of COP26.
Emma serves on a number of boards and advisory committees which include The Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment (as co-Chair), the European Climate Foundation, the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project, and Menhaden PLC
Emma was the UK Commissioner to the Global Commission on Adaptation from 2018 until January 2021.