Leading climate company welcomes former CFO of Sustainable Finance at HSBC
South Pole, a leading climate change strategy and solutions company, is building up its expertise in financial services with a key appointment to its leadership team. Rebecca Self, formerly Chief Financial Officer of Sustainable Finance at HSBC Holdings plc, joins the company as Director of Sustainable Finance after approximately two decades of holding senior leadership roles in the financial industry.
In her previous role, Rebecca oversaw group-wide financial services relating to sustainable finance products, such as sustainability/green bonds, ESG (environmental, social, governance) asset management/private bank funds and commercial lending related to sustainability. In addition, Rebecca was responsible for HSBC's external ESG reporting and investor relations – including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and corporate reporting on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Rebecca has chaired the European Banking Federation industry SDG working group and has been a member of other advisory groups to progress non-financial reporting. For example, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and CDP. She holds a BSc in Economics and Politics, a Certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge, and is a Chartered Global Management Accountant.
As Director of Sustainable Finance, Rebecca will report directly to the CEO of South Pole, Renat Heuberger.
"Over the past decade, South Pole has helped shape the climate-smart financial services market by pioneering forward-looking data sets and solutions – even incubating high-performing start-ups! With Rebecca on our team, we will continue to strengthen the case for sustainable finance, as we see ESG investments outperform other investments. Her unique industry insights will ensure that we empower leaders in the financial sector with the right tools and intelligence to act on climate risks and opportunities to move money towards a sustainable, resilient future," says Renat Heuberger, CEO, South Pole.
"The impact of climate change poses a threat to our financial systems equal to that of global pandemics. There's a gap between what science says needs to happen and where our money is invested. Changing the course of climate change requires smart financial decisions. With the right incentives and solutions, we can catalyse systemic change for climate action – and sustainable financial returns. I'm thrilled to put my 20 years of experience to work towards this vision, together with the fantastic team at South Pole," says Rebecca Self, Director of Sustainable Finance, South Pole.
With offices on five continents and the development of over 700 projects since its inception in 2006, South Pole is one of the most established climate action advisory companies and project developers worldwide. The company offers asset managers, institutional investors and financial industry experts such as Affirmative Investment Management and Candriam, a way to integrate data and analysis on climate risks and opportunities into investment and disclosure strategies.
For further information and to schedule interviews, please contact Isabel Hagbrink, Director of Communications, at i.hagbrink@southpole.com