Christine Chow, formerly Head of Active Ownership at UBS Asset Management, is to lead a single leadership team across two climate and environmental finance think tanks, Planet Tracker and Carbon Tracker. The move to a more streamlined management structure will “foster a unified vision and operational efficiencies” in the brands’ provision of data and analysis aimed at aligning the financial system with a net zero, resilient, nature positive and just economy before 2050. Chow becomes the inaugural CEO of Tracker Group, having previously held global executive leadership roles at UBS, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Schroders and Federated Hermes, in a career in finance spanning almost three decades. With both think tanks working in the inter-connected areas of climate change and biodiversity loss, Tracker Group said unified leadership, along with shared functions in engagement and communications, would better position the organisation to explore new opportunities and perspectives for enhanced analysis. “By focusing on integrated initiatives – like addressing deforestation and emphasising the links between climate and natural ecosystems – we will push for capital allocation that drives financial performance, while reducing climate risks and protecting natural resources,” it said in a statement. “Carbon Tracker and Planet Tracker are change makers and are well respected for producing insightful and actionable research on climate change and nature. I look forward to driving the next phase of development at the Tracker Group to enable investors and policymakers to take action,” said Chow. Carbon Tracker was founded to help accelerate investor and regulatory support for the move away from fossil fuels to clean energy; recent areas of analysis include the impact of flawed climate models on pensions, oil and gas companies’ liabilities from closing wells, and the decarbonisation of heavy-duty vehicles. Established to drive capital allocation away from unsustainable means of production, in line with planetary boundaries, Planet Tracker’s recent work includes a seafood database to enable investors to identify exposure to illegal fishing, overfishing and other sustainability risks. The two think tanks shared common founders but operated separately until the recent reorganisation. Chow is also the Board Chair of the International Corporate Governance Network and an honorary adviser to the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, the independent regulator of the accounting profession in Hong Kong.
