Green Finance Institute chair Sir Roger Gifford passes away

Green Finance Institute chair and senior banker for Skandinaviska Ennskilda Banken (SEB), Sir Roger Gifford, has passed away aged 65.

Sir Roger was a leading figure in green finance, having chaired the UK Government’s Green Finance Taskforce in 2018 and more recently sat on the advisory panel for the Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity.

He also served as Lord Mayor of London in 2013 and was an elected member of the City of London Corporation as alderman for the ward of Cordwainer.

In a statement, the Green Finance Institute said: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our chair, Sir Roger Gifford.

“Sir Roger was instrumental in establishing the Green Finance Institute and stewarding our success over the last two years. His contribution to the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, and advancing green finance in the UK was enormous.

“He has left an indelible mark on the industry and on all of us.

Sir Roger read Chemistry at Oxford and began his career in the financial sector at S.G. Warburg & Co, before joining SEB in 1982. Prior to his appointment as UK country head in 2000, he led the bank’s operations in Japan for six years. He worked in and around the primary debt and equity capital markets for most of his career.

He was also vice-chair and a past chair of the Association of Foreign Banks in London, and chair of the advisory board of the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange.

As chair of the Green Finance Institute, Roger helped the organisation to focus on growing the contribution of the financial sector to the G20 climate agenda.

He was also a regular visitor to Japan, and friend of the BCCJ. The BCCJ team would like to extend our condolences to Sir Roger’s family at this sad time.