Structure and Governance

The Alliance's governance ecosystem

The Alliance’s decision-making bodies include the Steering Group (advised and represented at the working level by the Steering Group Representatives), the All-Member Principals and the Working Track Leads. Their authority and discretion are clearly articulated in the Alliance’s Governance Document.

The Steering Group (SG) is composed of C-suite executives from member institutions as well as convening organisations. The Group is elected every two years by the All-Member Principals. It convenes on a quarterly basis and sets the strategic direction of the Alliance.

Each SG member designates a ‘working-level’ colleague, forming the SG Representatives, who meet frequently and carry out SG’s functions whenever appropriate.

The Chairperson of the Alliance is elected by the Steering Group members. Read more…

The All-Member Principals is a group comprised of individuals at the level of CEO or member of Group Executive Committee, who each represent a member of the Alliance. The Principals meet quarterly to discuss key strategic elements of the Alliance and cast their votes in all matters related to the Alliance’s governance.

The Leads of the Alliance’s various working tracks are elected member representatives, who are experts in the specific field of their respective track. Their main responsibility is implementation of their track’s workplan and achievement of the track’s milestones and objectives. See profiles of Working Track Leads.

The Alliance Secretariat is assembled by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

Strategic Advisors counsel the Steering Group in its regular meetings. WWF and Global Optimism (convened by former UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Christiana Figueres) have been the strategic advisors since the formation of the Alliance. Additional strategic advisors can come onboard through a majority vote in the Steering Group.

The Alliance also benefits from having a Scientific Advisory Body (SAB), which it consults in all its thought leadership pieces, such as position statements and discussion papers. The SAB is made up of four scientific institutions: the International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis (IIASA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Read more…

The Alliance partners with institutions whose expertise can help members fulfil their commitments. Collaborators and supporters contribute to the Alliance’s goals through development of methodologies, best practices, and relationships with relevant stakeholders. Read more…

In March 2022, the Alliance approved an updated set of commitment-related documents, which strengthen and clarify the requirements for members. The Governance Document outlines the minimum criteria for membership and the process for the assessment of members’ compliance with target-setting requirements. Procedures for engagement with members to achieve full compliance (including delisting as the option of last resort) form the Alliance’s accountability mechanism. Read more…

Working tracks

The Alliance’s work is organised into four programmatic and two support tracks focusing on:

Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV)

The cornerstone of the Alliance, MRV strives to ensure credibility, accountability, and
transparency within the Alliance and with other relevant stakeholders.

Financing Transition

A pivotal part of Alliance members’ efforts to decarbonise existing investment portfolios is supporting the transition to an overall low carbon economy. This includes the financing of sustainable business models, technologies and infrastructure.

Engagement

In order to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy and society, the Alliance members must focus on real-world outcomes. As outlined in the Alliance’s Target Setting Protocol, engagement is the primary tool for this effort.

Policy

Supportive public policy is critical to the viability of a net-zero transition. Investors, can play an important role in raising government awareness and making the business case for fully implementing the Paris Agreement and achieving climate neutrality by mid-century. The Alliance’s Policy Track seeks to amplify investor voices to realise these goals.

Communications and Recruitment

The Communications and the Recruitment Track, respectively, focus on:

Maintaining the Alliance’s transparency and credibility in communicating with the media and the public
Expanding the Alliance’s membership while focusing on strategically important regions.