James Alexander – Keynote Speaker

James Alexander is Chief Executive of UKSIF, driving the organisation’s objective of advancing sustainable investment and finance in the UK, and also serves as Chair of the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA), working to unlock the power of the worldwide financial services industry to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.

James joined UKSIF in 2020 with a background in international climate finance and infrastructure finance as well as many years’ experience in leadership roles in membership organisations. Since then, UKSIF has grown substantially, now representing over 300 organisations, collectively managing over £19tn. He has also overseen the expansion of UKSIF’s communications, public affairs and events programmes, increasing the organisation’s capacity to influence decision makers, promote sustainable finance in the media, and facilitate industry collaboration.

James Alexander has represented UKSIF in Parliament and is a member of multiple government and regulatory working groups. In August 2023, he was appointed Chair of the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance and he also serves as Treasurer of Eurosif, the European Sustainable Investment Forum. In November 2023, James was awarded Outstanding Individual Contribution to the ESG Investment Industry at the Clear Path Analysis ESG Investment Leader Awards.

Previously, James Alexander supported global megacities to overcome the substantial barriers to financing climate action as Director of the City Finance Programme at the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and Head of the C40 Cities Finance Facility – a project preparation facility he developed, now supporting cities across the world to structure a billion dollars of sustainable infrastructure transactions. James has worked on international climate finance issues at the UN level and remains a member of the UN SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, chaired jointly by Jeffrey Sachs and the Mayors of Paris and Rio de Janeiro.