Christopher Knowles, Head of the Climate Change & Environment Division in the European Investment Bank (EIB)’s Operations Directorate since 2006, has today joined the Climate Bonds Advisory Panel.
Chris leads the EIB’s deployment of innovative financing products and structures in the climate and environment areas - critical tools if we're to make the most of our limited public funds - and plays a prominent role in the Bank’s engagement with a range of public and private counterparts in the same areas.
During his time at the EIB the bank has emerged as one of the largest providers globally of finance for climate and environment – around EUR80 billion ($109 billion)in the past five years – and an issuer of climate awareness bonds. It is becoming the world's largest green bank.
The EIB (tag line "the EU Bank") sees a "natural alignment of interests with the aims of The Climate Bonds Initiative" and, through membership of the Climate Bonds Advisory Panel, expects to build on EIB’s already strong relationship with the capital markets and private sector investors in climate.
Other than bringing some lessons learned from EIB’s own experience, Chris will particularly focus on development of structures designed to address some of the current constraints on scaling up private sector financing of climate and environmentally positive investments, and expects closer contact with the Climate Bonds Initiative's institutional investor partners to facilitate this outcome.
Prior to EIB Chris worked for the Lesotho National Development Corporation (his first job, and one he loved - ask him about it), the European Commission and Lazard Brothers.
