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01 Green investment, policies and politics in a year of radical change

This is a year that’s already like no other.

The backlash to climate and sustainability investment started with the roiling disruption of new Trump administration in the US.

Will it last or is it bluff and bluster? Will the weight of money already invested in the climate tech and sustainability prevail?

This first session brings you two of the most highly regarded participants in the green investment and government policy arena - Martijn Wilder, Founder of Pollination and Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority.

Moderator Rachel Alembakis is one of the best interrogators in green investment journalism and now a participant in the sector.

Meet the Leaders

Martijn Wilder is Founder and CEO of Pollination. He is currently Chair of the Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), and Chair of the Governing Board of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) based in Vienna. He is also an Adjunct Professor of International Climate Change Law at Australian National University, a Senior Advisor to Serendipity Capital, and a Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. Martijn was previously Head of Baker & McKenzie’s global climate law and finance practice for twenty years and played a key role with Australia’s clean energy finance institutions. He was previously President of WWF-Australia, Chair of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), a former Founding Director of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), and he helped to establish and later Chair the Federal Government’s Low Carbon Australia finance body. He was also Chair of the Victorian Government’s independent expert panel on Victoria’s 2035 Climate Change target. Martijn was a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar and was awarded an Australian Honour (AM) for his contribution to climate change law and the environment.

Matt Kean was appointed as Chair of the Climate Change Authority on 5 August 2024 for a term of 5 years. He was previously the Member for Hornsby in the NSW Parliament from 2011 until 2 August 2024. Matt was most recently the NSW Shadow Minister for Health. He was Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal party from August 2022 until March 2023. Throughout his 13-year political career, Matt also held ministries of Innovation and Better Regulation, Treasury, Energy and Environment. As Treasurer and Energy Minister of NSW, Matt championed climate action that is in the best interests of households and businesses. In 2020, he delivered the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap: A 20-year plan for NSW’s energy infrastructure. The roadmap spurs private investment in renewable energy while reducing emissions and power bills for the people of NSW. Matt commenced in the role of Director, Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at Wollemi Capitalon 15 August 2024. Matt studied a Bachelor of Business at the University of Technology Sydney and is a Chartered Accountant by profession.

Rachel Alembakis is stewardship manager at U Ethical Investors. In her role, she is responsible for managing U Ethical’s active ownership activities. She is a member of the board of directors of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA). She was previously the managing editor and founder of FS Sustainability, a trade publication title that examines how investors and companies integrate environmental, social and corporate governance issues into their decision-making processes and host of the ESG podcast The Greener Way. She has more than a decade's experience as a financial journalist covering a broad range of investment issues. Rachel holds an MSc in Politics of the World Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a BA in journalism and a BS in political science from Boston University.

Lunch provided.