Lord Alok Sharma

Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma is a British politician, diplomat, and advocate for sustainable development, best known for his leadership of the landmark COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Lord Sharma served as a Member of Parliament in the UK House of Commons for 14 years (2010–2024), before being appointed to the House of Lords. Prior to entering politics, he qualified as a chartered accountant and spent 16 years working in investment banking in London, Frankfurt, and Stockholm.

In government, Lord Sharma held a number of senior ministerial roles, including Secretary of State for International Development and later Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. In 2020, he was appointed President Designate of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), and in 2021 he took on the COP Presidency full-time. Under his leadership, almost 200 countries came together to sign the historic Glasgow Climate Pact, uniting in their commitment to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

For his services to tackling climate change, Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma was knighted in King Charles III’s 2023 New Year’s Honours. Today, he continues to play a leading role in shaping the global sustainability agenda. He serves as Chair of the UK’s Transition Finance Council, is a Member of the Advisory Council of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, Co-Chair of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Climate Advisory Council, and a Distinguished Fellow at Conservation International.

Drawing on his experience across finance, government, and international diplomacy, Lord Sharma makes the case for how sustainable practices are not only essential for addressing climate change but also critical drivers of long-term growth, resilience, and investment opportunity.

Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma’s speaking topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
· Global energy transition
· Sustainable finance
· International climate negotiations
· Green growth & financing Net-Zero
· Climate, energy and geopolitical security