The Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA), a collaboration of the largest sustainable investment organisations in major financial markets around the world, announces that the secretariat of GSIA will transition from the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) to the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF). The Chair role has now moved from RIAA CEO Simon O’Connor to UKSIF CEO James Alexander.

At a time where the international collaboration between major markets on the development of responsible investment and sustainable finance is so critical, GSIA looks forward to the energy and direction that UKSIF and James will bring to this important collaboration between sustainable investment organisations, particularly at a time where  global standards are being set. There is a strong need for alignment and convergence across geographies for our many globally focused members in order that the financial services sector can contribute strongly to a transition to a sustainable economy.

GSIA thanks RIAA and Simon for the last three years of driving the GSIA’s global engagement. Simon’s leadership played a pivotal role in overseeing the successful delivery of the biennial Global Sustainable Investment Review (GSIR) report in 2020, which has been downloaded over 160,000 times since its most publication. Additionally, RIAA has been instrumental in establishing an important global project between GSIA, CFA Institute and the Principles for Responsible Investment – the Collaboration to Align and Refine ESG Terminology (CARET). This initiative will produce consultation papers to standardise ESG definitions later this year.