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
Closing the gap between the Paris Agreement climate ambition and action requires significant capital deployment. This session explores the global and Asia-Pacific trends driving investment in the energy transition, industrial decarbonisation, sustainable infrastructure and nature based solutions. Panellists will discuss how private capital is being mobilised, the key players enabling investment, and successful models, collaborations, and co-investments that accelerate emissions reductions. The discussion will also highlight the geographic and sectoral hotspots where climate solutions are scaling fastest.
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 - Net Zero: The Institutional Investment Opportunity
As climate change moves from long-term risk to immediate market reality, institutional investors play a critical role in financing a net zero, climate-resilient future. This session explores how Australian superfunds are integrating net zero strategies into mainstream investment processes and asset allocation for long-term value creation. Panellists will highlight examples of direct investments and new mandates in climate solutions, and discuss what is needed to unlock greater 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:
Zoe Parkin, Associate Director – Growth Capital, CEFC
Presenting Companies:
- Tim Washington, CEO, JET Charge
Lunch
Plenary 3 - Financing the corporate climate transition
Corporations are both the largest emitters and essential drivers of the climate transition. This session explores how companies are integrating climate considerations into capital allocation, sourcing and deploying investment to meet emissions reduction and net zero targets, and managing the costs of decarbonisation across supply chains. Panellists will also discuss the policy frameworks, commercial collaborations, technical solutions and co-investment models needed to scale climate action rapidly and effectively.
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
- Hugh Killen, Managing Director a& CEO, Impact Ag Australia
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:
- Sarah Nolet, Partner, Tenacious Ventures
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: Is there a Future Made in Australia?
Does Australia have the resources, proximity to markets, and policy momentum to lead the clean industrial transition or will the global race for climate capital and clean industrial investment already underway, risk Australia being left behind. A humorous, witty, insightful, competitive, fun session to lead into the networking drink’s reception.
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
Australia’s Future Made in Australia agenda is designed to position the nation as a critical player in the evolving global economy while accelerating the climate transition. With emissions reduction targets of 62–70% by 2035, Australia’s Future Made in Australia agenda now requires effective capital mobilisation. The challenge now is translating ambition into investable opportunity. This session examines the policy settings, investment signals, and priority decarbonisation sectors needed to attract capital at scale, and how Specialist Investment Vehicles and co-investment models can be structured to crowd in private investment.
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?
Developing an end-to-end Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) supply chain could drive long-term regional economic growth, enhance fuel security, and decarbonise Australia’s aviation sector — a critical step toward achieving net zero targets. This session will examine the key components of the SAF value chain and explore what policy levers, and market are signals needed to turn Australia’s SAF potential into scalable, bankable project and stimulate both demand and supply-side investment. With recent government commitments to support low-carbon liquid fuels, is Australia 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
Climate-focused fund managers play a critical role in scaling solutions by aligning capital, risk, and impact. Panellists will discuss how capital is deployed, how investments are sourced and selected, and how climate impact is measured alongside financial performance. The conversation will also examine the use of blended finance, risk-sharing mechanisms, co-investment approaches, and innovative financing structures that unlock capital across the stack and accelerate deployment at scale. They will highlight where they see the most compelling opportunities across sectors, technologies, and markets, in the climate transition.
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
Carbon markets are a major driver of climate finance, supporting compliance frameworks, such as the Safeguard Mechanism and voluntary corporate commitments alike. This session will examine how domestic and international carbon markets function, the drivers of supply, demand, and pricing, and the implications for investors. Panellists will explore how carbon markets mobilise capital into mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, and highlight the most compelling investment opportunities across the carbon value chain.
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:
This session explores what might be coming as the next wave of climate investment in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Panellists will share their insights on the technology innovations, policy developments, market trends, and key initiatives that are shaping the most compelling near-term investment opportunities in the climate transition and outline the roles that their key organisations will play
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.