UKSIF names Meehan as chair

Michael Meehan has been appointed as the new chair of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF).

He replaces Lesley Alexander, former CEO of HSBC’s UK
pension fund, who has served five years in the role.

Meehan has been involved in sustainable finance for nearly
20 years, including working with the UN, the World Economic Forum and the White
House advising on sustainability issues.

He is a former CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative and
Carbonetworks, an emissions reporting company. He currently sits on the boards
of UK responsible investment groups including the Natural Capital Coalition,
TCR Innovations and FullSight Partners.

Coming from a background in sustainability and impact
finance, Meehan said he saw the international community prioritising critical
sustainable risks more than ever before.

Meehan said: “I look forward to working with UKSIF and its leadership to help strengthen the critical role the organisation plays in sustainable and responsible investment, in the UK and around the world.”

“Over $90trn will be required by 2030 to achieve globally
accepted goals in sustainable development and climate challenges, and I believe
the UK’s financial community has a critical and leading role to play in this
rapidly changing investment landscape,” he said.

Simon Howard, chief executive of UKSIF, thanked Lesley
Alexander for her work with the organisation and highlighted her role in its
efforts on fiduciary duty.

Alexander said: “We played a key role in modernising
regulations so that now trustees have to be very clear in their Statement of
Investment Principles about the factors they take into account when considering
ESG issues and the impact of climate change.”

UKSIF has more than 240 members and affiliates from across
the UK financial services sector.