PRI hires first-ever head of China

She will be part of the PRI’s Global Networks and Outreach (GNO) team and will report to Lorenzo Saa, co-director of GNO. Nan Luo takes up her new role on 9 October and will be based in Beijing.

Ms Luo has a wealth of experience in the climate change, green finance and energy sectors, covering both policy and investment. Her most recent role was with the Department of International Trade at the British Embassy in Beijing, where she was the Head of Institutional Infrastructure Investment, leading on attracting Chinese capital investment into UK Energy and Infrastructure activities, with particular focus on renewable energy. Prior to that position, she spent five years working in the Climate Change and Energy Section of the British Embassy in Beijing, focusing on green finance strategies and policy-oriented projects to address global climate change and support China’s low-carbon transition.

Before her various roles at the British Embassy, Ms Luo also spent two years at Climate Bridge Ltd in Shanghai, where she developed and managed Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. The CDM is one of the flexible mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol that provides for emissions reduction projects.

Ms Luo holds a bachelor of Engineering from Northwest A&F University, China and an MSc in European Forestry, for which she studied at a number of European institutions.

In her new role with the PRI, Ms Luo will work closely with Chinese institutional investors on responsible investment initiatives, including green finance, as well as continuing to raise awareness of the PRI and its activities. She will also work with a number of external bodies including the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC) and the Green Finance Committee, which is chaired by Dr Ma Jun, formerly Chief Economist of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

“We are delighted that Nan Luo will be our new head of China,” said Lorenzo Saa, co-director of Global Networks and Outreach.

“Obviously, China is of huge strategic importance with considerable institutional investor clout. But in order to maximise our existing relationships in China and to continue building awareness of the importance of ESG issues, we have realised that we need a presence on the ground. This appointment also aligns to our three-year strategic plan of having a greater presence in Asia.”

In recent years, the PRI has been particularly active in China on a number of activities. Most recently, the PRI contributed to the UK and China’s green finance task force report, Turning Green Momentum into Actions, where the PRI called for China and the UK to encourage environmental disclosure, including scenario analysis disclosure from companies for a two degrees world.

In addition to China, the PRI will continue to focus on South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore as priority countries in Asia. Ms Luo will work closely with the PRI’s team in Hong Kong.

Commenting on her new role, Ms Luo said: “China represents enormous opportunities for investing in ESG-related projects, especially with regard to environmental issues.

“Working with a large global organisation like the PRI will provide a unique opportunity to engage with Chinese asset owners and investment managers on ESG issues and for expanding PRI’s signatory base across China.”