Banking Spotlight: From policy regimes to banking commitments - Opportunities for mainstreaming just transition in bank transition plans
In person and online public event, Shaw Library, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE
Register here to attend in-person, subject to approval
Register here to follow the event online (via Zoom)
Commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions contributed $456 billion in climate finance in 2023 — representing 23.7% of the total and surpassing the combined contributions of governments, state-owned institutions, and national development banks ($391 billion). Yet their influence extends well beyond capital deployment. As financial intermediaries, banks are uniquely positioned to shape how climate finance flows, and to whom — with the potential to maximise benefits and minimise risks not just for their clients, but for supply chain workers, local communities, and vulnerable groups affected by climate-related activities.
This event aims to gather insights on how bank transition plans can serve as a vehicle for embedding just transition principles across climate-related financing. A panel discussion will explore three interconnected themes: the role of international standard-setters in advancing just transition considerations within sustainability reporting frameworks; national regulators’ expectations for how just transition is reflected in bank transition plans; and the practical opportunities and challenges banks face in turning these principles into action.
Chair
Carmen Nuzzo, Professor in Practice and the Executive Director of the TTPI Global Climate Transition Centre, LSE
Meet our speakers
Lizzy Girling, Head of Social Sustainability, Sustainable Finance Products & Frameworks at Standard Chartered Bank
Lizzy leads Standard Chartered’s Social Sustainability and Sustainable Finance Products and Frameworks team. In this role she is responsible for maximising social impact in the Bank’s financing activities, and ideation, development, launch, management and strategic direction of the suite of over 40 sustainable finance products across both the Corporate and Investment Bank and Wealth and Retail Bank, working in collaboration with product partners. Her team also delivers the Bank’s sustainable finance frameworks, setting the standards for Green and Sustainable Finance as well as Transition Finance within the organisation.
Boitumelo Sethlatswe — Head of Sustainability at Standard Bank Group
Boitumelo Sethlatswe is Head of Sustainability at Standard Bank Group. Her work includes integrating the bank’s sustainability strategy in line with the group’s purpose of driving Africa’s growth. This includes developing sustainability and ESG related thought leadership, developing strategy and policies, enhancing disclosures and performance, and engaging with various stakeholders on the progress being made to maximise positive impact and manage risk effectively. Boitumelo joined Standard Bank Group in 2015. Her previous roles at the bank include Head of Societal Impact and Senior Manager in Group Corporate Citizenship. Boitumelo is Co-chair of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Banking Board.
Hannah Simons, Head of Sustainable Finance & Transition, Lloyds Corporate & Institutional.
Hannah joined Lloyds in 2023. In her first role as Head of Sustainability for Lloyds Corporate Markets, Hannah supported clients to build sustainable financing solutions relevant to their individual needs. She also worked closely with colleagues across the wider Lloyds Banking Group to support the delivery of the Bank’s sustainability objectives. Hannah recently expanded her role to take on responsibility for Sustainable Finance and Transition across Lloyds Corporate & Institutional business. Hannah joined from Schroders where she was Head of Sustainability Strategy. In her role, she supported clients in embedding sustainability into their investment strategy and developed a cohesive range of sustainable investment products to meet client needs. Earlier in her career, Hannah worked at BlackRock, PIMCO and Schroders supporting institutional investors in designing bespoke investment solutions, aligned to their long-term objectives.
Mark Manning — Independent Advisor on Sustainable Finance and Visiting Senior Fellow, Centre for Economic Transition Expertise at LSE
Mark is an independent advisor on sustainable finance, working with public interest organisations on transition planning, transition finance, climate resilience and sustainability reporting. Mark holds a Visiting Senior Fellow position with CETEx at LSE and has advisory roles with the IFRS Foundation, the International Organisation of Standardisation, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Chapter Zero. Mark spent much of his prior career in the official sector, holding various senior policy and research roles in central banking and securities regulation in London and Sydney – with the Bank of England, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. Mark represented these organisations in domestic and international policy fora, including IOSCO’s Sustainable Finance Taskforce.
Presenter / Moderator
Sherillyn Raga, Policy fellow and Banking Workstream Lead, Just Transition Finance Lab, LSE
At the Lab, Sherillyn currently leads research on the intersection of climate and social risks in the banking sector, engaging directly with major banks in the UK and globally, as well as financial regulators and international organisations. Prior to joining the Lab, she spent 15 years as a policy-oriented economist at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and ODI Global. Her work spanned macroeconomic policy, environmentally sustainable economic transformation, financial sector development, public and development finance, and greening central banking.
This event is being held as part of London Climate Action Week 2026.