2022 Speakers

Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE

Chris Skidmore is a former UK Energy Minister who signed the United Kingdom’s net zero by 2050 commitment into law, becoming the first G7 country to do so. In January 2024, in protest at the UK government’s decision to promote new oil and gas licences, he resigned his seat as a Member of Parliament in principle against the decision.

A member of the British Parliament between 2010 and 2024, Chris served in several UK government departments including the Treasury, the Cabinet Office, the Department of Business, Energy, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Education and the Department of Health between 2016 and 2020. In 2019, he was promoted to become an attending Member of Cabinet under Prime Minister Theresa May and was made a Privy Councillor. During his time as Energy Minister he both signed the UK net zero commitment into law and secured the UK Presidency of COP26, held in Glasgow two years later.

Sacha Sadan is the Director of ESG at the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). Facilitating the UK financial regulator to embed ESG across the wide spectrum of regulatory activities and reporting to the CEO. He has been named a City Influencer by Financial News as one of the biggest 25 names who have been instrumental in shaping the UK’s financial services industry and has also recently been appointed an Honorary Professor at the Alliance Manchester Business School at The University of Manchester. Previously Sacha was Director of Investment Stewardship (10 years) and on the board at LGIM, one of the world’s largest asset managers. Sacha had responsibility for investment stewardship, including environmental, social and governance (ESG). He was recognised in the Financial Times as one of ‘the 30 most influential people in the City of London’. Sacha was previously a UK equity portfolio manager at Gartmore. He was voted the top-rated Pan European fund manager in the Thomson Reuters Extel awards. He started his career at Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension fund. Sacha is a Fellow of CFA, CGI and a founding member of the UK Investor Forum.

Sagarika is Director, Climate Finance for the UN Climate Change High-level Champions. The Champions catalyse climate action and a bridge to parties to the Paris Agreement. There are 13,000 non-state actors in their network including financial institutions, businesses and cities. In 2025, the Champions’ finance topics include: the Baku-Belem Roadmap, nature, adaptation, insurance for sector transition, and ventures in developing countries.

Sagarika serves on the on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Climate and Nature Governance and on the advisory board of the Imperial College Business School Centre for Climate Finance and Investment.

Sagarika was PRI’s first Director of Climate Change and the Environment, having helped found the UN-convened Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance. Sagarika helped establish GFANZ with the COP26 Private Finance Hub. Sagarika has worked for over ten years at F&C Asset Management, as an investment committee member for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and a trustee at Earthwatch. Sagarika started her career in a commercial role for a European retailer.

Sagarika has an MSc in Development Studies from University of London, a post-graduate diploma in Management Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Sagarika is bilingual in English and Bengali

Sagarika leads on finance for the UN Climate Change High-level Champions, HE Ms Razan Al Mubarak (UAE) and Ms Nigar Arpadarai (Azerbaijan). The Champions catalyse climate action and act as a bridge for non-state actors to parties to the Paris Agreement, with 13,000 non-state actors from over 130 countries in their network.  This includes corporates, cities and financial institutions.   The Champions’ finance priorities in 2024 include mobilising capital for developing countries, financing nature, adaptation, net zero and transition. Sagarika initially joined the Champions on secondment from the PRI and helped establish GFANZ with the COP26 Private Finance Hub.  Sagarika was PRI’s Director of Climate Change and the Environment, having set up PRI’s climate change work including the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, the Inevitable Policy Response and early green finance work in China.  Sagarika was seconded to PRI signatory Aviva Investors, to support Aviva and the PRI Chair’s in the TCFD recommendations. Before PRI, Sagarika worked for over ten years at F&C Asset Management, was as an investment committee member for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for five years and a trustee at Earthwatch, an environmental research organisation.  Sagarika started her career in a commercial role sourcing independently certified timber for B&Q, part of European retailer Kingfisher plc. Sagarika serves as an expert on the advisory board of the Imperial College Business School Centre for Climate Finance and Investment, on the Global Capacity-Building Coalition Working Group and on the GFANZ workstream on Mainstreaming Transition Finance and Real Economy Transition. Sagarika has an MSc in Development Studies from University of London, a post-graduate diploma in Management Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge.  Sagarika is bilingual in English and Bengali.