PROGRAM & SPEAKERS
The 4th annual Climate Investor Forum 2026 will once again host an impressive, influential line up of speakers.
In 2026, the 4th Climate Investor Forum will feature a world-class speaker line-up alongside exciting new additions, including an expanded two-day program with VIP cocktails, Gala Dinner, and options for side events.
Delegates can expect 12 in-depth sector sessions showcasing groundbreaking APAC climate solutions, a larger exhibition hall, and significantly increased opportunities for B2B meetings, networking, and private boardrooms.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
16 FEBRUARY 2026
Invitation only
High level - Climate Finance and Investment Roundtable
VIP Pre-Event Cocktails
17 - 18 FEBRUARY 2026
FULL DAY PROGRAM
Day 1 Tuesday, 17 February
CENTREPIECE Melbourne
Welcome and opening address
Setting the scene – who is in the room and why?
Peter Castellas, CEO, Climate Zeitgeist
Welcome Keynote Address:
CR. Nicholas Reece, Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne
Opening Keynote Addresses
- Richard Yetsenga, Group Chief Economist and Head of Research, ANZ
- Kobad Bhavnagri,Global Head Strategy. BloombergNEF
Plenary 1 - Global trends, developments and opportunities in Climate Investing
For economies to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement we must close the investment gap between ambition and action. Achieving meaningful emissions reductions at scale will require significant capital investment. What are the global trends driving the investment in climate solutions and decarbonization of global industrial supply chains? How do we unlock, unleash and mobilize private capital and who are the critical players to effect this? What are successful models, collaborations and co-investments that are delivering accelerated emission reduction outcomes? As governments, corporations, and investors increasingly accelerate the deployment of climate solutions, where are the key geographic and sectoral hotspots?
Moderator:
- Emma Herd, Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability Services & Co-Lead , EY Net Zero Centre
Panelists:
- Emily Woodland, APAC Head of Sustainable & Transition Solutions, Blackrock
- Neil Arora, Head of Asia Climate, KKR
- Elizabeth O’Leary, Global Chair Agriculture and Natural Assets, Macquarie Asset Management
- Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative
Plenary 2 - Unlocking institutional investment to drive the net zero transition
As climate change accelerates from long-term risk to immediate market reality, institutional investors have a critical role in financing the transition to a net zero and climate resilient future. How are Australian superfunds integrating net zero strategies into mainstream investment processes and asset allocation for long-term value creation? What are examples of how funds have been allocated through new mandates and direct investments to climate solutions and what is required to unlock more capital allocation for the energy and climate transition?
Moderator:
Paul Hunyor, CEO & Co-Founder, Wollemi Capital
Panelists:
- Liza McDonald, Head of Responsible Investment, AWARE Super
- Marina Pasika, Head of Private Markets (Acting), Rest Super
- David Allen, Deputy Chief Investment Officer – Alternatives, Future Group
Morning Tea
Concurrent Sector Showcases - Presenting Climate Solutions
Groundbreaking climate solutions from the APAC region presenting across 12 sector sessions with a deeper dive of each sector.
Concurrent Sector Showcases - I
Energy Transtion
Accelerating climate tech innovation and emerging scalable solutions.
Moderator:
- Ben Gust, Managing Partner, Virescent Ventures
Presenting Companies:
- Nicolas Sautter, Founder & CEO, beez-fm
- Sebastian Tringali, Executive Chairman, Energy Bay
- InterContinental Energy
Carbon Markets & Nature Based Solutions
Scaling carbon markets and naturepositive projects.
Moderator:
- Pierre Josset, CEO, GreenCollar
Presenting Companies:
- Ben Sawley, CEO, Pastoral Partners
- Rowan Foley, CEO, Aboriginal Carbon Foundation
- Rebekah Braswell, CEO, Land Life
Transport & Mobility
Low-carbon transport, EVs, and sustainable logistics.
Moderator:
Aiden Rohde, Associate Director, Investments, CEFC
Presenting Companies:
- Tim Washington, CEO, JET Charge
Lunch
Plenary 3 - Financing the corporate climate transition
Corporations are primary emitters of greenhouse gases yet are also key agents in responding to climate change. This session will cover insights and strategies on industry approaches to investing in meeting their emissions reductions and net zero targets. How are companies integrating climate considerations into their capital allocation processes? How are they sourcing, managing, and deploying capital in ways that support their transition strategies? Who pays for the costs of emissions reduction in supply chains? What are the national and sectoral policy frameworks needed and the new commercial collaborations and co-investment pathways for solutions to rapidly scale in deployment of climate solutions?
Keynote:
- Craig Scroggie, CEO & Managing Director, NextDC
Moderator:
- Chris Halliwell, Co-Founder & CEO, CORE Markets
Panelists:
- Holly Kramer, Board Director, ANZ/Woolworths/Fonterra
- Graham Winkleman, Vice President Climate & Environment, BHP
- More panelists to be announced
Plenary 4 - Family offices - emerging as a powerful force in the fight against climate change
Private wealth management firms that oversee the assets of affluent families have a crucial role to play in aligning investments with family values that prioritize environmental sustainability, and the increasing availability of attractive climate themed impact investment opportunities. How are some of the leading family offices leveraging their financial resources and strategic expertise to not only achieve financial returns but also contribute to building a more sustainable future in funding climate action?
Moderator:
- Chloe Argyle, Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets, Ethica Capital
Panelists:
- Chris Hay, Managing Partner & Chief Executive Officer St Baker Capital Partners
- Jeremy Kwong- Law, Managing Partner, LightWave Capital
- Shane Guyot, Head of Infrastructure & Real Assets, Skip Capital
Afternoon Tea
Concurrent Sector Showcases - II
Food & Agriculture
Innovation in sustainable food systems and agri-tech.
Moderator:
- Announced soon
Presenting Companies:
- Hugh Killen, Managing Director & CEO, Impact Ag
- Precision Partners
- Riverine Plains
- Nbryo
Climate Tech
Business models that eliminate waste and regenerate materials.
Moderator:
- Camilla Roberts, Founder & CEO, Scale Impact
Presenting Companies:
- Fair Supply
- PlasmaLeap
- Agronomeye
- Rainstick
Blue Economy
Harnessing ocean-based solutions for climate and economic growth.
Moderator:
- Tom Loefler, CEO & Founder, Hulbot
Presenting Companies:
- Latitude Blue
Cocktail Reception
Plenary 5 - The Great Debate
Strategic opportunity to network, deepen connections, unlock new relationships, and leverage the full decision-maker network of the Forum
Gala Dinner
A celebratory evening of inspiration and shared purpose in climate finance and solutions.
Host:
- Megan Flynn, Managing Director, Global Head of Advisory, Pollination
Guest Speakers:
- Rachel Payne, Managing Director, X, the Moonshot Factory
- Anote Tong, Former President of Kirbati
Day 2 Wednesday, 18 February
CENTREPIECE Melbourne
Welcome and opening address
Opening Keynote Addresses
- David Scaysbrook, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Quinbrook
Plenary 1 - Turning targets into investment - A Future Made in Australia
The Australia Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda aims to secure Australia’s place as an indispensable part of the changing global economic and strategic landscape. With a 62-70% target by 2035, what will be required to give investor confidence to invest in Australian climate solutions and deploy capital at scale? Where is that investment going to come from? Where are some of the priority areas for targeted industry decarbonization? How do we best leverage the government’s Specialist Investment Vehicles and develop models to facilitate co-investment to crowd in private capital?
Moderator:
- Peter Horn, General Manager, Investment, Austrade
Paenelists:
- Ian Learmonth, CEO, CEFC
- Zoe von Batenburg, Chief Investment Officer, ARENA
- Paul Peters, CEO, Energy Security Corporation
- David Gall, CEO, National Reconstruction Fund
Plenary 2 -Can Australia become a global leader in Sustainable Aviation fuels?
Building an end-to-end SAF supply chain could help Australia’s long term regional economic development, fuel security and support the decarbonisation of Australia’s aviation industry, vital for us to achieve our net zero targets. This session will explore the key components of the SAF value chain and what is now required to stimulate demand and supply side investment. With the recent announcement of substantial government support for low carbon liquid fuels, are we ready for take-off?
Moderator:
- Fraser Thompson, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Cyan Ventures
Paenelists:
- Fiona Messent, Chief Sustainability Officer, Qantas
- Prue Newall, Director Environment, IFM Investors
- Tom Kline, Partner, Climate Tech Ventures
- Jesse Scott, Head of AgriEnergy Commercial & Growth, GrainCorp Energy
Morning Tea
Concurrent Sector Showcases - Presenting Climate Solutions
Groundbreaking climate solutions from the APAC region presenting across 12 sector sessions with a deeper dive of each sector.
Concurrent Sector Showcases - I
Energy Transition
Utilities and large-scale projects in generation, transmission, and storage
Moderator:
- Elysse Morgan, Head of Client Solutions Japan, Australia & NZ, Stafford Capital
Presenting Companies:
- Brian Restall, CEO, Quinbrook
Carbon Markets & Nature Based Solutions
Next-gen technologies to accelerate decarbonisation.
Moderator:
- Announced soon
Presenting Companies:
- Vanessa Gibbons, CEO, NXT Nature
Buildings & Infrastructure
Emerging materials and technologies transforming the built environment for net zero.
Moderator:
- Kris Campbell, Associate Director, Senior Engineering Manager, Knight Frank
Presenting Companies:
- Announced soon
Lunch
Plenary 3 - Climate Fund manager strategies and blended finance
What are the different investment strategies employed by climate themed fund managers? What type of funding do they provide, how do they select their investments and how do they measure their climate impact? What blended finance, risk sharing models and innovative financing structures and co-investment strategies do they use to unlock and connect interests across the capital stack to achieve climate goals. Which jurisdiction, sector and technology application do they see significant growth and potential?
Moderator:
- Rod Bristow, CEO, Breakthrough Victoria
Panelists:
- Andrew Bullock, Managing Director, Adamantem
- David Barton, Principal Investment Specialist, Asian Development Bank
- Roo Harris, Partner, Scale Investors
- Gabrielle Munzer, Partner, Main Sequence Ventures
Plenary 4 - The investment case for carbon markets
The use of Carbon markets are a key feature of compliance markets like the safeguard mechanism and CORSIA and also corporate voluntary commitments. On the domestic front, investment and growth of the Australian Carbon Credit Scheme will be vital to ensure large emitters meet their compliance obligations. Internationally, the new rules around Article 6 have been set and over 100 countries have determined to use carbon markets to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions. What are the supply and demand and pricing dynamics in these domestic and international markets? How will carbon markets help drive climate finance into mitigation, adaptation and resilience? Where are the sweet spots for investments?
Moderator:
- Sasha Courville, CEO, Carbon Market Institute
Panelists:
- Stephanie Russo, Executive Director, Pollination
- Greg Noonan, Division Director Natural Capital, Gunn Agri
- Brad Kerin, General Manager, WeAct
- Adrian Enright, Chief Commercial Officer, Arnhem Land Fire Abatement NT
Afternoon Tea
Concurrent Sector Showcases - II
Renewable Fuels & Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Scaling SAF production and adoption.
Moderator:
- Matt Hudson, Executive Manager Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Qantas
Presenting Companies:
- Alex Smith, CEO, Co-Founder, HAMR Energy
Green AI
Harnessing AI and digital innovation for climate solutions.
Moderator:
- Announced soon
Presenting Companies:
- Satleo Labs
- Val AI
Mining & Resources
Decarbonising critical minerals and resource supply chains.
Moderator:
- Jenny Selway, CEO, HILT CRC
Presenting Companies:
- Chris Ormston, General Manager -Sustainable Processing, Calix
- Michael van Niekerk, CFO, BioCarbon
- Element Zero
Plenary 5 - Imagine the future:
What are some of the big investment trends, technology innovations, policies, markets developments and key initiatives coming in the near future that will define the key climate investment opportunities in Australia and the region?
Keynote:
Hon Matt Kean, Chair, Climate Change Authority & Director, Head of Fundraising, Wollemi Capital
Moderator:
- Rebecca Russel, Managing Director and Partner, BCG
Panelists:
- Estelle Parker, CEO, Responsible Investment Association of Australia
- Kristy Graham, CEO, Australian Sustainable Finance Institute
- Richie Merzian, CEO Clean Energy Investor Group
- Rebecca Mikula-Wright, CEO, Investors Group on Climate Change
- Megan Fisher, CEO & Director, Energy Lab
Closing & Thanks
In February 2026, The 4th Climate Investor Forum will once again include over 90 speakers, moderators, and presenting climate solutions, at the forefront of the climate investment landscape.
world class speakers
Over 100 speakers, including presenting climate solutions, at the 4th Climate Investor Forum – from ministerial and keynote addresses to high-level plenaries and presenting companies showcasing game-changing climate solutions.
We are pleased to announce the initial confirmed speakers.
Along with CEO’s and senior representatives from companies delivering:
- Climate Tech
- Food and Agriculture
- Blue Economy
- Nature Based Solutions
- The Energy Transition
- Nature Based Solutions
- Circular Economy
- Critical Minerals and Resources
- Buildings and Infrastructure
- Green AI
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- Carbon Markets
Senior decision-making representatives from key industries including:
- Superfunds / Institutional Investors
- Private Equity
- Venture Capital
- Family Offices
- Impact Investors
- Banks
- Government funding agencies
- Corporate Venture Funds
- Company CFOs and Chief Sustainability Officers
- International Investors
Connecting Capital to Scale Climate Solutions
- 17 - 18 February 2026
Globally Significant Keynote Speakers
Engage with and hear from globally significant keynote speakers.
Commercial Transactions
Network and build personal relationships with key decision makers driving climate related investments and commercial transactions.
World Class Climate Solutions
Understand the global potential of the best of Australian investment ready, scalable world class climate solution companies and projects.
Full Ecosystem of Investors
All forms of private and public capital providers across asset classes converge here.