Olga Hancock is Deputy Head of Responsible Investment at The Church Commissioners for England. She also holds a position of chair of the policy committee at the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, and is co chair of the Indonesia workstream of the Investors Policy Dialogue on Deforestation. She previously worked as a solicitor and started her career in Australia.

Our conversation covers her early interest in environmental science and issues even during her study of law, and some of the sustainability issues explored on field trips that fascinated her early on.

Her move then into sustainable investing seemed a natural one, and we talk through how her legal skills primed her for a role in this vast and complex area. We dig into the key issues at the forefront of her mind now – which includes environmental issues in emerging markets, new disclosure requirements and the net zero impetus among UK institutions.  We also discuss Olga’s work with the Investors Policy Dialogue on Deforestation, which has particularly resonance for her in light of time spent in South East Asia earlier in her education.

We finish with reflections, on some strong role models in her life, as well as key life lessons garnered from time in Norway – an awareness of the importance of deriving joy from work.

There is more information on the Investors Policy Dialogue on Deforestation (IPDD) here: https://www.tropicalforestalliance.org/en/collective-action-agenda/finance/investors-policy-dialogue-on-deforestation-ipdd-initiative/ and on UKSIF (UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association) here: https://uksif.org and on their Net Zero work here: https://uksif.org/netzero/

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