Overview

Our new half-day event is being held ahead of a pivotal year for the development of the UK’s sustainability reporting regime, which uniquely impacts financial services firms as both preparers and users of sustainability-related information. 

In 2026, a flurry of consultations is expected from UK Government and financial regulators on climate-related transition plan requirements and the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. 

Additionally, the Prudential Regulation Authority has set out new expectations for firms to improve their climate risk management capabilities. At the same time, firms must navigate parallel developments across the US, EU, and other markets.

Given this fast-evolving landscape, it is hardly surprising that 50 per cent of UK businesses see keeping up with changing requirements as their biggest compliance challenge. 

This Key Conversation event will offer attendees the opportunities to hear directly from policymakers, regulators, and standard setters on the latest updates in the regulatory and policy landscape, as well as from industry on peer-tested approaches towards sustainability reporting and transition plans. 

Keynotes and panel discussions will explore: 

  • The state of the UK’s sustainable finance regulations. What do anticipated requirements and supervisory expectations look like, what are the next steps for government and regulators, and how are firms progressing with implementation?
  • Impact of EU reforms. How will recent changes to the EU’s sustainable finance framework affect the UK’s respective regime, and what do they mean for UK and other non-EU institutions?
  • From compliance to commercial opportunity. Can sustainability reporting and disclosure support the government’s growth agenda, and what role can transition plans play in unlocking commercial opportunities for financial services firms?
  • Nature: the next frontier of sustainability reporting. With the ISSB planning to develop nature-related disclosure requirements ahead of COP17, how should firms prepare for emerging standards on the horizon?

Confirmed speakers:

  • Nigel Topping CMG, Chair of the Climate Change Committee
  • Saif Malik, CEO and Head of Client Coverage UK, Standard Chartered
  • Caroline Corbett-Thompson, Head of ESG, Wise plc
  • Cassie McGoldrick, Manager of Primary Markets Policy team, FCA
  • Tim Lord, Head of Climate and Energy, HSBC UK
  • Khadija Ali, Group Director, Sustainability and Responsible Business, Lloyds Banking Group
  • Marcellina Ehimhen, Senior ESG Manager, National Wealth Fund
  • and many more..

Key Conversations series

UK Finance’s Key Conversations series is a selection of half-day events spotlighting key trends, emerging themes, and timely policy and regulation developments through short, focused conversations.

We have designed these sessions to provide engaging discussions, the chance to hear directly from industry experts, gain insights on the latest trends and issues, and connect with peers face to face.

Area of expertise:

Top Speaker

Nigel Topping CMG

Nigel Topping CMG

Chair of the Climate Change Committee

Nigel Topping was appointed as Chair of the Climate Change Committee in July 2025. Nigel has served on the CCC since May 2023. Prior to that he served...

Nigel Topping was appointed as Chair of the Climate Change Committee in July 2025. Nigel has served on the CCC since May 2023. Prior to that he served as the UN’s Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP26, and as the UNFCCC’s Global Ambassador on the ‘Race to Zero’ and the ‘Race to Resilience’. He also brings nearly 20 years’ experience in the private sector to the role.

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Top Speaker

Saif Malik

Saif Malik

CEO and Head of Client Coverage UK, Standard Chartered

Saif Malik is CEO, UK and Head of Coverage, UK. In this role, he leads the management and development of corporate and financial institution client re...

Saif Malik is CEO, UK and Head of Coverage, UK. In this role, he leads the management and development of corporate and financial institution client relationships in the UK.

Saif joined Standard Chartered in 2006 and has held various leadership roles across the client business including Regional Co-Head of Global Banking for Africa & Middle East, Co-Head of Wholesale Banking with Standard Chartered Nigeria and Head of Corporate & Institutional Clients with Standard Chartered Malaysia. Prior to his current role, Saif was Global Head of our multinational corporate business (Global Subsidiaries).

Before he joined Standard Chartered, Saif held roles with Barclays Bank Tanzania, Barclays Bank Zambia, as well as a brief stint with the Central Bank of Zambia.

Saif is a passionate advocate for a sustainable, diverse and an inclusive global future. He possesses a wealth of Banking and Finance experience in the areas of sales and business development, marketing and corporate credit. He was included in the inaugural Financial News South Asian Power Brokers list(Opens in a new window), celebrating senior South Asian trailblazers in finance who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the sector.

Saif holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Arts in International Business, both from the University of Kentucky, USA.

Saif is a Board Member of UK Finance, BritishAmerican Business and The International Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Leadership Council at International Business and Diplomatic Exchange.

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Top Speaker

Thierry d’Argent

Thierry d’Argent

CEO, Societe Generale London Branch

Thierry d’Argent was appointed as the CEO of SG London Branch and Chief Country Officer for SG in the UK & Ireland in May 2023. Thierry is a membe...

Thierry d’Argent was appointed as the CEO of SG London Branch and Chief Country Officer for SG in the UK & Ireland in May 2023. Thierry is a member Executive Committee of Société Générale’s Global Banking and Investor Solutions division; he is also a member of the Group’s Management Board.

Thierry was previously Société Générale’s Global Head of Coverage and Investment Banking; he was also Deputy Head of the Global Banking and Advisory business unit. In this role, he has advised some of the largest corporations and financial institutions across Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States.

Thierry joined SG in Paris in early 2009 as Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions; in 2010, he was appointed Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions; in 2012, he added responsibility for Equity Capital Markets, forming Corporate Finance. In 2015, he was appointed to the Group Management Board, and in early 2016 as Head of Coverage and Investment Banking. In 2019, he became Deputy Head of Global Banking and Advisory. Thierry started his career as a management consultant with Oliver Wyman in London in 1989; he then served as deputy Cabinet Director in the Brussels Federal Government between 1991 and 1992; he worked with Baring Brothers (subsequently ING Barings) in Paris between 1992 and 1998. In late 1998, Thierry joined J.P. Morgan, as an M&A practitioner, where he became a Managing Director in 2001, in charge of their Investment Banking practice in France.

Thierry is a supervisory board member of Le Palais Royal, L’Académie de Musique de Paris and serves on the advisory board of the French-German Economic Council. He served for 4 years on an Advisory Commission of France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (Commission Opérations et Emetteurs).

He graduated summa cum laude from the Solvay Business School, University of Brussels (1984-1989). He is married with four sons.

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Amy Thomson

Amy Thomson

Head of Sustainability, Nationwide

Amy leads Nationwide’s sustainability agenda, across environment, social and governance activities. This includes strategy, ambitions, risk activity, ...

Amy leads Nationwide’s sustainability agenda, across environment, social and governance activities. This includes strategy, ambitions, risk activity, carbon accounting, and disclosures. Amy is responsible for all sustainability-related disclosures, including science-based targets, TCFD disclosures, transition planning, modern slavery, human rights, and ESG disclosures.

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Anindya Ghosh Chowdhury

Anindya Ghosh Chowdhury

Chief Growth Officer, Katalysys

Anindya is an ex-regulator and policy expert from the PRA.He is a prudential regulation and risk management specialist with > 11 years' experience ...

Anindya is an ex-regulator and policy expert from the PRA.

He is a prudential regulation and risk management specialist with > 11 years' experience in banking and capital markets, financial market infrastructure firms, and enterprise-wide risk management and controls. Anindya joined Mazars in 2021 and has been working with a range of clients, predominantly on prudential regulatory matters. Anindya has c. 15 years’ experience in financial services. He is a former PRA regulator and Bank of England auditor, where he worked with a number of international banking subsidiaries and payment firms. 

He also led the Prudential Risk Advisory team at Forvis Mazars, where he oversaw several internal audits and was the external auditor for several banks whilst at PwC.

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Caroline Corbett-Thompson

Caroline Corbett-Thompson

Head of ESG, Wise plc

Caroline Corbett-Thompson leads ESG at Wise. With a background in social entrepreneurship and systems change, she now navigates the complex regulatory...

Caroline Corbett-Thompson leads ESG at Wise. With a background in social entrepreneurship and systems change, she now navigates the complex regulatory and environmental risks facing the global fintech sector.

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Caroline Haas

Caroline Haas

Managing Director and Head of Climate and ESG Capital Markets, NatWest

Cassie McGoldrick

Cassie McGoldrick

Manager of Primary Markets Policy team, FCA

Cassie McGoldick is the Manager of Primary Markets Policy at the FCA, which is responsible for the FCA's Listing Rules, Prospectus-related requirement...

Cassie McGoldick is the Manager of Primary Markets Policy at the FCA, which is responsible for the FCA's Listing Rules, Prospectus-related requirements, and ongoing transparency obligations for issuers on regulated markets. Before joining the FCA Cassie spent 8 years at HM Treasury where she led on a number of financial services files including the wholesale markets review and the UK’s first Green Finance Strategy. During her time at HMT, Cassie spent over two years on secondment to the FCDO where she was posted to Dubai as HMG’s  ‘Regional Director of Financial Services for the Gulf’ and has worked on international financial services agreements with the EU, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China. 

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Chris Reid

Chris Reid

Policy Advisory Manager – Sustainability Disclosures, NatWest

Chris leads on sustainability disclosure policy at NatWest Group. He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, with a career grounded in pr...

Chris leads on sustainability disclosure policy at NatWest Group. He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, with a career grounded in prudential risk management, regulatory engagement and policy development. Since 2021, he has led NatWest Group’s advocacy on the development of UK and international sustainability disclosure policy, including being an active member of national and global industry working groups.

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Dominique Tremblay

Dominique Tremblay

Head of Enterprise Sustainability and Regulatory Transformation, BNY

Doug Baird

Doug Baird

Climate & Financial Risk Leader, NatWest

Emily Farrimond

Emily Farrimond

Partner Lead for ESG and Sustainability within Financial Services, Baringa

Emily is the Partner Lead for ESG and Sustainability within Financial Services at Baringa. She and her team work with asset owners, managers, banks, a...

Emily is the Partner Lead for ESG and Sustainability within Financial Services at Baringa. She and her team work with asset owners, managers, banks, and private equity firms to help them navigate the full spectrum of sustainability topics — from climate scenario analysis to modern slavery requirements and everything in between. Our work spans sustainability and net-zero strategy, target-setting and transition planning, measurement and reporting, and the application of climate risk management. We also support clients with credible transition planning, regulatory readiness, and the development of new products and services.

Emily is an Executive Fellow at King’s College London in the Centre for Sustainable Finance and holds a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.

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Khadija Ali

Khadija Ali

Group Director, Sustainability and Responsible Business, Lloyds Banking Group

Khadija Ali is the Group Director for Sustainability and Responsible Business at Lloyds Banking Group. Before joining Lloyds, Khadija spent 19 ye...

Khadija Ali is the Group Director for Sustainability and Responsible Business at Lloyds Banking Group. 

Before joining Lloyds, Khadija spent 19 years at Ernst & Young in various roles. She was the UK’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader for Financial Services, where she built a market-leading practice in supporting a number of global financial institutions across both advisory and assurance services. 

She has worked globally across a number of locations, including Canada, US and the UK. Her expertise includes climate change and nature, which she complements with her background in finance and risk. 

Khadija is a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). 

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Marcellina Ehimhen

Marcellina Ehimhen

Senior ESG Manager, National Wealth Fund

Marcellina Ehimhen is a senior financial services leader specialised in ESG strategy, execution and risk management. With more than 17 years of experi...

Marcellina Ehimhen is a senior financial services leader specialised in ESG strategy, execution and risk management. With more than 17 years of experience in financial services, spanning banking and consulting, she specializes in the development and implementation of ESG risk frameworks and risk‑based strategies. Her work strengthens organizational resilience, ensures compliance with regulatory standards, and fosters sustainable long-term value creation.

Marcellina is a Senior Manager, ESG at the National Wealth Fund, leading the Fund’s approach to identifying, managing and reporting environmental, social, resilience and governance risks and opportunities. Her work has reshaped how ESG is embedded in investment decisions, introducing a risk‑based approach that safeguards long‑term value and supports broader positive impacts on growth and the transition to net zero.

Before joining the National Wealth Fund, Marcellina led ESG due diligence in consulting, helping tier one private‑equity firms and corporate clients ensure financially material ESG risks were properly priced into asset valuations and decision making. With extensive experience in commercial banking outside the UK, Marcellina served as Head of Sustainable Banking, leading ESG strategy and integrating ESG across lending, operations, external reporting and client engagement. She established a full ESG function and management system that became a catalyst for industry recognition and positioned the bank to deliver its first ISSB-aligned report in 2024, placing it among the top three early adopters in the Nigerian banking sector. 

Marcellina holds an MSc. in Financial Services, Risk and Operations from Glasgow Caledonian University and a BSc in Finance and Banking. She is also certified in Sustainable Investing (CFA) and Sustainability and Climate Risk (GARP) and is an ISO 14001 Senior Lead Implementer.

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Nick Sebrell

Nick Sebrell

ISSB Director, IFRS

Nigel Topping CMG

Nigel Topping CMG

Chair of the Climate Change Committee

Nigel Topping was appointed as Chair of the Climate Change Committee in July 2025. Nigel has served on the CCC since May 2023. Prior to that he served...

Nigel Topping was appointed as Chair of the Climate Change Committee in July 2025. Nigel has served on the CCC since May 2023. Prior to that he served as the UN’s Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP26, and as the UNFCCC’s Global Ambassador on the ‘Race to Zero’ and the ‘Race to Resilience’. He also brings nearly 20 years’ experience in the private sector to the role.

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Oliver Withers

Oliver Withers

Global Head of Nature, Standard Chartered Bank

Oliver Withers is Head of Nature at Standard Chartered and leads the Nature Finance innovation hub, working with colleagues across the group to furthe...

Oliver Withers is Head of Nature at Standard Chartered and leads the Nature Finance innovation hub, working with colleagues across the group to further integrate biodiversity and nature considerations into the firm's business activities and decision-making. He was previously Global Head of Biodiversity at Credit Suisse, working on transactions such as the world’s first wildlife conservation bond, the rhino bond, and on sovereign debt for nature swaps. Before this, Oliver was the Head of Conservation Finance and Enterprise at the Zoological Society of London with responsibility for delivering biodiversity impact across both the blue and green economies. Oliver began his career in financial services, where he ultimately became the head of asset management for a pan-African investment bank before pursuing a career in sustainability and nature finance. Oliver has an MSc in Finance from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and a BCom in Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, which is where he was born. He has dual South African and British citizenship with experience working and living in both Africa and Asia, although he is currently based in the UK. He is a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London.

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Raza Naeem

Raza Naeem

Partner, Linklaters

Raza is a Partner in Linklaters’ Financial Regulation Group, and widely regarded as a specialist in a number of financial services regimes including E...

Raza is a Partner in Linklaters’ Financial Regulation Group, and widely regarded as a specialist in a number of financial services regimes including ESG, MiFID, Brexit, PRIIPs, AIFMD and UCITS.

Raza has also led on and contributed to a number of trade associations, industry forums and Linklaters roundtables / briefings on these topics. Asset management and sustainable finance are a core part of his regulatory practice, and he has helped buy-side clients across a range of ESG matters ranging from the structuring of ESG products, drafting product and entity level ESG disclosures, as well as the creation of sustainable finance and ESG risk management frameworks.

He also works closely with the broader Linklaters practice areas, providing regulatory coverage in areas such as derivatives, structured products, funds and employment matters.

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Sarah Arthur

Sarah Arthur

Senior Sustainability and Programme Manager, Santander UK

Tim Lord

Tim Lord

Head of Climate and Energy, HSBC UK

Tim is Head of Climate and Energy for HSBC UK. He leads the bank’s climate and energy strategy, with a focus on supporting customers’ transition journ...

Tim is Head of Climate and Energy for HSBC UK. He leads the bank’s climate and energy strategy, with a focus on supporting customers’ transition journey across retail, commercial and infrastructure finance.

Prior to joining HSBC, he spent almost 20 years working for the UK government, including senior roles in home decarbonisation, energy market design, industrial and finance policy. From 2017-2020 he led development and delivery of the UK’s decarbonisation strategy, including leading the team which set the UK net zero target and delivering the UK’s first Green Finance Strategy. After leaving the civil service, Tim joined the Tony Blair Institute as Senior Fellow for Net Zero, before moving to the financial services sector as Head of Climate Change for Phoenix Group.

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Valerie Pinkerton

Valerie Pinkerton

UK TNFD & Transition Plan Lead, Green Finance Institute

Valerie leads market engagement on the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in the UK for the GFI. She works closely with senior l...

Valerie leads market engagement on the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in the UK for the GFI. She works closely with senior leadership of UK companies to build a strong business case for taking action on nature, from disclosure to nature transition planning and execution, and coordinates the TNFD’s UK Consultation Group. Valerie joins from the CANA Collective, where she was a contractor with a focus on natural capital accounting. Previously, she was a Director at Pollination, where she supported clients with nature risk assessments and strategy development, due diligence as part of carbon market transactions, and coalition-based policy advocacy for scaling environmental markets. Prior to this, she was an Associate Program Officer at the Robertson Foundation, making strategic grants to address climate change, protect ocean health, and deliver landscape-scale restoration projects.

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Vickesh Mistry

Vickesh Mistry

Principal Consultant – Commercial Risk & Sustainability, Equifax

Ian Bhullar

Ian Bhullar

Director, Strategic & Sustainability Policy, UK Finance

Ian leads the delivery of UK Finance’s sustainability strategy, working with UK and international regulators to shape the sustainable finance and net ...

Ian leads the delivery of UK Finance’s sustainability strategy, working with UK and international regulators to shape the sustainable finance and net zero policy landscape. He has held policy advisory roles in the UK Government and European Commission, including head of international sustainable finance at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and senior advisor to former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney for the COP26 climate conference. He was previously a commodities and environmental markets analyst, covering Asian and European markets.

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Agathe Duchiron

Agathe Duchiron

Principal, Sustainability, UK Finance

Agathe supports our Director Ian Bhullar on delivering UK Finance’s sustainability strategy, working with UK and international regulators to shape the...

Agathe supports our Director Ian Bhullar on delivering UK Finance’s sustainability strategy, working with UK and international regulators to shape the sustainable finance and net zero policy landscape. She leads on transition planning and some of our real economy work.

Agathe was previously a manager in the Sanctions policy team at UK Finance, and holds an LL.M. in International Law from the University of Edinburgh.

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Baringa

Baringa

Baringa is an independent management consultancy built on 25 years of real-world experience across energy, financial services and the wider economy. W...

Baringa is an independent management consultancy built on 25 years of real-world experience across energy, financial services and the wider economy. We are the UK's number one consultancy for Energy, Utilities and Environment — rated gold by our clients in the Financial Times rankings every year since 2019. Because we work at the heart of the energy transition, we bring something unique to financial services — genuine insight into what net zero looks like in practice. We work with asset owners, managers, banks and insurers to assess climate, nature and environmental risk, build comprehensive transition plans, set net zero strategies and navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

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Equifax

Equifax

Equifax is a global data, analytics, and technology leader that helps businesses and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confiden...

Equifax is a global data, analytics, and technology leader that helps businesses and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. As a trusted partner to the financial services industry, we believe that positive economic change starts with a single opportunity and that knowledge drives progress.

Our Identity & Fraud solutions are designed to protect businesses and consumers throughout the entire customer journey. Leveraging the Equifax Cloud™ and differentiated data fabric, we deliver real-time, AI-powered insights to fight increasingly sophisticated threats. Our Authorized Payment Protection (APP) solution firms comply with complex regulations like the PSR mandate while ensuring a seamless, high-trust experience for their customers.

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Katalysys Ltd

Katalysys Ltd

For over 18 years, Katalysys has helped and advised UK non-systemic banks navigate the complexities, obligations, and opportunities in prudential risk...

For over 18 years, Katalysys has helped and advised UK non-systemic banks navigate the complexities, obligations, and opportunities in prudential risk management, risk modelling, and regulatory compliance. With over 30% share of the non-systemic banking institutions in the country, we don't try to be everything to everyone – we are the specialists for banks that are exactly your size. This gives us a significant advantage, and a unique view of best practices in the market to which you specifically belong. We don’t just have deep knowledge of prudential regulations; we know how non-systemic banks can meet them in a considered and proportionate way to efficiently utilise capital and liquidity resources.

Our success is defined by the strong, strategic partnerships we form with our clients. We listen carefully to their requirements and behave like an internal team, enhancing their skills and resources to achieve positive results and make a lasting impact. Time and again clients comment on our responsiveness and the accessibility of our senior team. Because of this they trust us and know they can depend on us. Our clients consistently rate us as 'dependable' and 'committed' because we act as a true partner, not just a transactional vendor.

We offer services in risk management, regulatory reporting, and technology solutions on stress testing, interest rate risk in the banking book and liquidity monitoring.

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Linklaters

Linklaters

Linklaters is one of the world’s leading law firms. We are a high-performing, diverse team of exceptional, talented and highly motivated individuals w...

Linklaters is one of the world’s leading law firms. We are a high-performing, diverse team of exceptional, talented and highly motivated individuals who handle the biggest and most transformational mandates for the world’s leading corporates, banks and financial sponsors.

We are bold and ambitious. Our goal is always to deliver the best results for our clients and each other. We focus relentlessly on innovation, efficiency and agility to meet our clients’ commercial needs and deliver beyond their expectations. If you are a major corporate or financial services company undertaking complex deals globally, Linklaters is the firm for you.

Our people are creative, commercial and committed, working with you to crystallise your organisation’s opportunities and manage your risks. Their expertise and our reach, through 30 offices in 20 countries, will enable you to achieve your corporate goals. Your success is key to us. With almost 200 years of guiding business through historical, economic and commercial changes, we have a heritage of long-lasting relationships and groundbreaking work.

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Sustainability professionals, including:

  • Chief Sustainability Officer
  • Senior Manager – Climate Change Strategy
  • Climate and Nature lead
  • Senior Sustainability manager
  • Sustainability reporting leads
  • Sustainability/climate risk management leads
  • Legal job titles
  • Compliance job titles
  • Audit and risk job titles

Law firms, auditors, consultancies, and solution providers:

  • ESG external affairs
  • Principal Sustainable Finance Advisor
  • Head of ESG Assurance