Utrecht, the Netherlands – 16th July 2024: PCAF has added a wealth of expertise to its Board of Directors with the appointments of Justine Bolton, Carbon and Biodiversity Specialist at FirstRand Limited, Prajña Khanna, Global Head of Sustainability at Naspers-Prosus Group and Alison Vipond, Climate Specialist at Lloyds Banking Group.
The appointments were made following a rigorous process to which all PCAF signatories were invited to apply last year and will further enhance the leadership capabilities of the Board of Directors, which is responsible for steering progress towards achieving the overall objectives of PCAF. As an initiative, PCAF fundamentally recognizes the necessity that its leadership team represents the diversity of its signatories, and these appointments reflect this proud intention.
Angélica Afanador, Executive Director at PCAF commented: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Justine, Prajña and Alison to the PCAF Board of Directors. With decades of experience between them in the rapidly evolving space of climate finance, their complementary skills will ensure that PCAF’s activity remains tightly aligned with the needs of the international financial sector. Diversity at senior leadership level is integral to driving forward our objectives and we have no doubt that each will prove an invaluable asset to the Board of Directors.”
Justine Bolton is the Carbon and Biodiversity Specialist in the Environmental, Nature & Climate Risk team at FirstRand. A driven environmental sustainability practitioner, Justine works on carbon accounting including financed emissions, portfolio alignment and climate change risks, biodiversity accounting and nature risks, and climate and nature related disclosures. Justine is the co-chair of the PCAF Africa implementation team, and strives to promote collaboration, learning and capacity building in fellow African financial institutions along their financed emissions and climate mitigation journeys.
Prajña Khanna is the Global Head of Sustainability for Naspers-Prosus Group, responsible for overseeing the transition of a diverse investment portfolio to Net Zero. Her personal experience covers multiple countries, contexts, and cultures – including campaigning for an international environmental NGO, building credible integrated reporting at an international bank, financing and working with entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia on clean energy solutions, and building a portfolio of companies all leading their own ESG journeys.
Alison Vipond is a Climate Specialist in Lloyds Banking Group’s Centre of Excellence in Environmental Sustainability, which plays a pivotal role in driving sustainability ambition and practice. Her responsibilities span financed emissions, target setting and system strategy development across Energy, Transport, Built Environment and Agriculture. Alison also actively engages with external initiatives such as the UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).
Justine Bolton said: “My hope is to bring an African regional perspective to PCAF’s global collective, and I am proud to do so at the Board level and through participation in the regional implementation groups and networks.”
Prajña Khanna said:“PCAF has a significant opportunity to shape the global decarbonisation strategies and pathways of both our financial and real economies, and I am confident that the Board brings an experienced, impactful, and diverse perspectives.”
Alison Vipond said:“I’m delighted to join the Board, having been part of PCAF since 2019. PCAF is a pivotal industry-led initiative driving forward transparency and accountability in carbon accounting, while also building a supportive community of practitioners and experts. I’m excited about the collective impact that PCAF members continue to achieve.”
ENDS
About the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials
The Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) was launched globally in September 2019. Currently, more than 490 financial institutions have subscribed to the PCAF initiative. PCAF signatories work together to jointly develop the Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard for the Financial Industry to measure and disclose the greenhouse gas emissions associated with portfolios of loans, investments, provision of insurance, and other financial products and services. By doing so, PCAF signatories take an important step to assess climate-related risks, set targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and develop effective strategies to decarbonize our society.
