Net Zero Investor’s Annual Conference

James is responsible for CCLA’s approach to sustainable investing. This includes our work to deliver real and lasting change through active stewardship, integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into our investment processes and ensuring that our portfolios are aligned with the values and mission of our clients.

James joined CCLA in 2010 and has developed and led programmes that have improved corporate behaviour on a wide range of issues including climate change, mental health, the Living Wage and modern slavery. This track record led to James being named one of Financial News’ 40 Rising Stars of Asset Management in Europe, 2020.

Prior to joining CCLA, James completed his PhD in economic geography at the University of Nottingham. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

Mark Manning leads the FCA’s policy work on sustainable finance and investor stewardship. In this role, he is responsible for several initiatives, including the FCA’s implementation of the TCFD’s recommendations and the FCA’s work with IOSCO on corporate reporting standards on sustainability. Prior to joining the FCA in 2018, Mark spent fifteen years as a central banker with the Bank of England (BoE) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). He held a number of senior roles, with a particular focus on policy, research and supervision in the field of financial market infrastructures (FMIs). Before joining the official sector, Mark spent several years as a fixed income and currency fund manager with Kleinwort Benson Investment Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Mark holds Master’s degrees in Economics and Finance, from University College London and London Business School, respectively.

Tony Juniper CBE is a prominent environmental figure, active in the defence of Nature for more than 35 years. He has led major organisations, run global campaigns, written many books and advised at the highest levels.

Adam Woodhall is the founder and Chief Executive of Lawyers for Net Zero, the fast-growing non-profit supporting General Counsel and their teams to take climate and ESG leadership.  He is an entrepreneur, a strategy and sustainability expert, and widely published author on energy and climate change. 

The initiative now has over 100 in-house lawyers committed to net zero, with many high-profile Champions taking part in Lawyers for Net Zero’s ‘Impact Programme’, including from organisations such as Vodafone, Standard Chartered Bank, Financial Times, E.ON, Nestle, Rolls Royce and Zurich Insurance.

Aidan Thomson has practiced environment law since 1992. He is an expert on all aspects of environmental liability and compliance, including the statutory liability regimes relating to environmental damage, nuisance, contaminated land, water pollution and waste; the environmental torts of nuisance, negligence and Rylands v Fletcher; and compliance regimes relating to air pollution, waste management, energy efficiency, emissions trading, “producer responsibility” (including WEEE and packaging waste), chemicals (including REACH) and the control of substances hazardous to health.

Aidan advises on these areas in a number of contexts, including corporate and property transactions, criminal and civil litigation, and regulatory investigations and appeal processes. 

Aidan is a contributing author to Financial Regulation: Emerging Themes in 2022 – an extensive collection of articles around the themes of Sustainability & ESG; Talent & People and I&D; Regulatory Risk & Enforcement; Governance; Technology; and Changing Markets.

Heidi Finskas is Vice President for Corporate Responsibility at KLP. KLP is Norway’s largest life-insurance company, managing pensions on behalf of Norwegian municipalities, county authorities and health enterprises. Finskas is responsible for KLP’s sustainability strategies, and for integrating ESG in all investment strategies and asset classes. Sustainability in the finance industry has been her focus throughout her career, and she is also a co-founder of Norsif, the Norwegian association for responsible investment. Finskas holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Oslo.

KLP has set a net-zero target for its investment portfolio and outlined a roadmap to net zero.

Barbara Zvan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP) and
former Chief Risk and Strategy Officer for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Recognized as a leading
voice on sustainable investing and a tireless ambassador for defined benefit pensions, Barbara brings
institutional strength to complex challenges while forging new collaborative pathways for innovation and
growth.

She is a seasoned contributor and advisor to leading global institutions and associations focused on
pension management, risk and responsible investing. She currently serves on the Boards of the
Responsible Investment Association and Global Risk Institute, the Advisory Board of the Institute of
Sustainable Finance at the Smith School of Business, the Council of Advisors of the Canadian Climate
Institute, and was a member of the Advisory Committee for the ‘Investing to Address Climate Change’
Charter. She chairs the Steering Committee of Climate Engagement Canada, a new finance-led initiative
to drive dialogue with Canadian companies on climate risks and opportunities. She was appointed to the
Government of Canada’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance in 2018, and subsequently became a
member of the federal Sustainable Finance Action Council created to bring sector insight to sustainable
finance market infrastructure in Canada. She also played a key role in creating the G7 Investor Leadership
Network in 2018.

Barbara is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, a holder of the
Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D) and has a Master of Mathematics degree from the
University of Waterloo. She is an honouree of Canada’s 2020 Clean50 and was named one of Canada’s
Top 40 Under 40 in 2008.