Adrian Barnes

11/2024–present – Green Arch Consulting – Partner
A new role providing sustainable finance advisory services to link investors, lenders and asset managers with companies, technologies or infrastructure assets that contribute to the transition to sustainability. I also provide leadership and technical advice in external sustainable finance roles, including ISEP’s Sustainable Finance Steering Group and BSI’s Sustainable Finance Committee.

08/2017–10/2024 – Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investment Group – Head of Green Analytics
Responsible for managing and directing my team’s assessment, management and reporting of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) opportunities and risks across investments, whilst driving forward best practice, engaging with stakeholders and supporting the wider industry. This ensured the group’s reputation as a global leader in green impact investment, and latterly as a leading specialist green asset manager. Leading an inclusive and diverse international team, my responsibilities included:

Green investment & portfolio management
● Development and application of GIG’s green impact governance framework globally: sustainability assessments, ratings and metrics; sustainability reporting to clients and public stakeholders
● Structuring, approving and fundraising for new funds to ensure that green impact governance framework and regulatory (e.g. Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation) requirements are incorporated, as well as fiduciary obligations for client-specific mandates (e.g. impact strategies)
● Portfolio company ESG engagement – e.g. transitioning towards net zero emissions, ESG policy development, supply chain human rights risks, climate risk, company Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Governance
● ESG Policy and Green Investment Policy – investment approval to ensure that policy and fiduciary requirements are met; maintaining policies and practice with reference to peer best practice
● Liaison with the independent Trustees of the Green Purposes Company with oversight of GIG
● Senior advisor on ESG management to Macquarie Asset Management’s Private Credit business

Thought Leadership
Supporting the growth of the sustainable finance sector with thought leadership as a member of technical environmental and sustainable finance initiatives, delivered webinars and workshops and led the development of standards and technical guidance in a number of external roles including:
● IIGCC Climate Solutions – Renewable Energy Infrastructure working group (Co-lead)
● UNFCCC-convened IFI Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Accounting (Chair 2017-2022)
● Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services
 

06/2013–08/2017 – UK Green Investment Bank – Vice President, Sustainable Finance
A senior member of the Sustainable Finance team in GIB with core responsibilities for evaluating, monitoring and reporting the ‘green impact’ and ESG risks of GIB’s investments, including:
● Investment due diligence & governance – evaluated transactions to confirm green mandate and policy alignment to Investment Committee; advised UK GIB board and subcommittees (such as Audit & Risk Committee) on GIB’s approach to managing ESG opportunity and risk
● Policy & process development – developed and maintained GIB’s Green Investment Policy and Responsible Investment Policy; produced the Green Investment Handbook
● Reporting & disclosure – developed and oversaw UK GIB’s approach to reporting green impact statements in Annual Reports, including management of external assurance to ISAE3000; managed reporting to Principles for Responsible Investment and Equator Principles
● Stakeholder management & government policy – engaged with NGO and government stakeholders; provided technical input to Committee on Climate Change and industry groups (e.g. Biomass and Biogas Stakeholder Implementation Group)

01/2011–06/2013 – WSP – Principal Consultant, Environment & Energy
A lead consultant for WSP, responsible for project managing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for WSP’s first offshore wind farm, and oversaw due diligence, environmental management, EIA and renewable energy feasibility studies for projects in the UK and overseas, including:
● UK Green Investment Bank – four-month secondment to help develop green approach
● Argyll Array Offshore Wind Farm – EIA project manager for 1800 MW Scottish project
● Police Hospital, Accra, Ghana – ESIA to IFC Performance Standards for UK Export Finance
● Beauly to Denny Overhead Line – Environmental Clerk of Works for 220 km power line

01/2007–12/2010 – Jacobs – Senior Environmental Scientist
An environmental consultant for this large engineering consultancy with lead roles in EIA and environmental management for a variety of infrastructure projects and clients.

03/2005–12/2006 – Ecotricity – Researcher / Assistant Project Developer
EIA and Planning Team for UK wind energy developer – responsible for compiling Environmental Statements for planning applications, site feasibility assessment and consultation with stakeholders.

06/2004–08/2004 – United Nations Environment Programme – Internship, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation
Internship based in Nairobi, Kenya, supporting environmental emergencies team.

2017 Fellow Member of ISEP
2012 Full Member of ISEP, Chartered Environmentalist
2008 Associate Member of ISEP
2002–2004 – University of Southampton, – MSc Integrated Environmental Studies
1998–2001 – Merton College, University of Oxford – MA Biological Sciences – 2:1 undergraduate degree