Eric Usher

Eric Usher Heads the United Nations Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). He oversees the governance, strategy and day-to-day management of UNEP FI’s work programme and global network development.

Since joining in 2015, Eric has focused on accelerating the deep integration of sustainability risks into financial practice, including addressing climate change, natural capital loss and human rights abuses, as well as building out the frameworks for positive impact finance needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Eric sits on several industry bodies including as UN representative on the Board of the Principles for Responsible Investment, and as a member of the governing boards of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, the Investor Agenda and the impact fund REPP Africa.

Prior to leading UNEP FI, Eric has more than 20 years of experience in the low carbon sectors, spanning technology commercialisation in Canada, solar rural electrification in Morocco and financial sector development across emerging markets. During 2011, he worked on the establishment of the Green Climate Fund and led efforts to create its Private Sector Facility. Eric has also been an editor of the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment report published annually with Bloomberg and was lead author for finance of the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources. Earlier in his career, Eric was General Manager of a solar rural electrification company based in Morocco.

He holds an MBA from INSEAD, France, and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University, Canada.