I am an experienced researcher on economic, finance and policy aspects of climate change and related energy issues. Currently, I am a Full Professor of Climate Finance at UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources (UCL ISR).
My work explores the cross-cutting role of finance in the global transition to a low-carbon economy, with a particular emphasis on avenues for integrating finance elements into climate policy design. In particular, I am applying complexity thinking and systemic approaches to the study of market structures for low-carbon finance, to identify points of policy intervention that lead to non-linear investment growth trajectories. In 2018, I was awarded an ERC starting grant (LINKS) focusing on the role of climate finance to meet the Paris goals (2019-2024).
I am also bringing research insights into policymaking and practical experience to bear upon academic studies. My research supported the work at several international public policy organizations, including the OECD, the Green Climate Fund and the World Bank. The impact of my contributions has been recognised through a few influential opinion pieces and coverage in top-tier media (e.g. Financial Times, Bloomberg and Forbes).
I completed my PhD in Business Administration at Polytechnic University of Marche and University of California, Berkeley (co-tutorship of doctoral thesis) with a focus on energy financing policy.
My research interests include climate finance, networks and complexity approaches, policy evaluation methods, financing schemes, low-carbon investments and energy policy.
Plenary 4. Thursday 3 July 15.30-17.30. Understanding energy transitions to accelerate decarbonisation
Rethinking Risk: Unlocking Climate Finance for a Global Transition
Climate finance is not reaching where it is needed most. Despite growing global commitments, low-income and climate-vulnerable countries remain underserved – trapped in an investment landscape shaped by risk perceptions that fail to reflect their development potential or climate urgency.
Financial decision-making, shaped by short-term thinking and shareholder-centric models, has created deep structural inequities in how capital flows. Current approaches often assess risks – such as currency volatility, sovereign creditworthiness, or political instability – in isolation. Yet in practice, these risks interact in complex, non-linear ways that amplify uncertainty and deter investment altogether.
Redirecting finance requires a fundamental shift in how risk is understood and addressed. By identifying where multiple risks converge and targeting those pressure points through coordinated interventions, entire markets can be moved from “too risky” to investible.
This rethinking of risk has the potential to transform finance from gatekeeper to catalyst. Only by building systems that serve all stakeholders – especially those on the frontlines of climate vulnerability – can climate finance support a truly global and just transition.