Secretariat

Eric Usher Heads the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, UNEP FI,

a global partnership between the UN and the finance sector bringing together over 550 banks, insurers and investors from around the world to shape sustainable finance. Eric oversees governance, strategy and day-to-day management of UNEP FI’s work programme and global network development. Over the years UNEP FI has established some of the most important sustainability-oriented frameworks within the finance industry, including the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI).  

Since joining UNEP FI in 2015, Eric has focused on accelerating the deep integration of sustainability issues into financial practice. These include addressing risks and impact associated with climate change, biodiversity loss and social issues, as well as building out the frameworks that support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Eric sits on several industry bodies including as UN representative on the Board of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), and as a member of the governing boards of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA), the IFRS Sustainability Consultative Committee and the impact fund REPP Africa. 

Eric has over twenty years of experience in the low carbon sectors, spanning technology commercialization in Canada, solar rural electrification in Morocco and financial sector development across emerging markets. During 2011, Eric worked on the establishment of the Green Climate Fund and led efforts to create its Private Sector Facility. Eric has been an editor of the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment report published annually with Bloomberg and was lead author for finance of the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources.