Professor Nick Robins
Sustainable Finance Professor, LSE, author of The Road to Net Zero Finance for the UK’s Climate Change Committee, Co-founder of the Financing the Just Transition Alliance.
Nick joined the Grantham Research Institute in February 2018 as Professor in Practice for Sustainable Finance. Nick leads the sustainable finance research theme. The focus of his work is on how to mobilise finance for climate action in ways that support a just transition, promoting the role of central banks and regulators in achieving sustainable development and investigating how the financial system can support the restoration of nature.
Nick is author of The Road to Net Zero Finance for the UK’s Climate Change Committee and co-founder of the Financing the Just Transition Alliance. He leads the finance platform for the Place-based Climate Action Network, and is co-chair of the International Network for Sustainable Finance Policy Insights, Research and Exchange (INSPIRE).
From 2014 to 2018, Nick was co-director of UN Environment’s Inquiry into a Sustainable Finance System. As part of this, Nick established the Sustainable Insurance Forum of regulators and the Financial Centres for Sustainability network, as well as leading country activities in Brazil, the EU, India, Italy and the UK.
Before joining UNEP, he was Head of the Climate Change Centre of Excellence at HSBC. Prior to HSBC, Nick was head of Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) funds at Henderson Global Investors. Nick has also worked at the International Institute for Environment and Development, the European Commission and the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Nick is co-founder of Carbon Tracker and also co-founder of Planet Tracker. Nick has published widely and is the author of The Corporation that Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational‘ (2005) and co-editor of Sustainable Investing: the Art of Long-Term Performance (2008). He is currently working on an ecological history of England and a book on finance, climate change and justice. He has a BA in History from Cambridge University and an MSc in International Relations from LSE.
Purpose-built for impact
There is need - and demand - for a comprehensive investment solution which takes impact and returns seriously. Snowball was created to make this type of investing available to everyone.
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Purpose-built for impact
Fairness
Our fees aren’t what you’d expect. We charge a simple flat fee, without a performance element. We call it “non-extractive finance”.
Transparency
We openly share our learning and approach. We published the “warts and all” findings from an independent verification of our impact processes.
Ownership
To guarantee mission-integrity and cement trust, the founders ensured that Snowball owned by charitable or public benefit capital providers. There is no incentive to greenwash.
Equity
More than half our team, board and investment committee are women. Diversifying who and how capital is managed is key to changing investment for the better.
Learning
Our team, expert network and leadership council present and run events for people in mainstream investment to change the way the investment industry thinks and acts.
Mission-locked
As a B Corporation, our impact mission is written into our articles of association.
Culture
How we work with each other is important. We run an ongoing strengths-based development programme designed to empower every team member.
Governance
We’ve been recognised in the top 5% of all B Corporations for our governance structure, helping us deliver our mission.
Awards & accolades
IA 50 2023 Manager
ImpactAssets is an impact investing trailblazer, dedicated to changing the trajectory of our planet’s future and improving the lives of all people. We're delighted to have been listed for the second year running in the ImpactAssets 50™.
Pensions for Purpose Content Award
We were awarded the Impact Strategy Award by Pensions for Purpose for our work in collaboration with the Impact Management Project on measuring enterprise impact.
Real Deals ESG Awards
We are delighted to win the Real Deals Media ESG Award 'Impact Fund of Funds', recognising the success of our strategy optimising all our investments for positive impact, risk and return. The Real Deals ESG Awards, celebrate those who are making positive change through ESG in private equity.
Investment Week's Sustainable Investment Awards
We won Investment Week's 'Best Sustainable Multi-Asset Fund' at their Sustainable Investment Awards 2023. The entries were judged by a panel of sustainable investment experts from across the industry. In their decision making they considered factors including: strong performance record; strength of the team; meeting the fund’s sustainable objectives; excellence in sustainable investing within the investment process; strong engagement record; effective client communication; wider fund impact; and key developments on the strategy in the year.
Real Leaders Innovative Impact Fund Managers
We were listed in this Real Leaders of Impact Investing special edition '60 Game-Changing Fund Managers', a collaboration between Real Leaders and ImpactAssets. This edition spotlights 60 of the 143 impact fund managers selected across all three IA 50 lists.
Living Wage Foundation
We are a Living Wage accredited employer. The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by almost 10,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs - like the weekly shop or a surprise trip to the dentist.
Our approach to diversity, equity & inclusion
We all have a responsibility to work towards the elimination of persistent inequities and systemic racism in our society. As investors, we can contribute to addressing these inequities by taking intentional steps to promote diversity and inclusion across our portfolio, and in how we operate. We share our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, and we review and update our approach as we learn from our experience.
45%
female board
66%
female management team
45%
female board
66%
female management team
Our approach to environmental sustainability
Climate change presents a major threat to healthy life on this planet. The financial system is powerful and we believe it has to serve the world better. There is an urgent need for the investment industry to accelerate the just transition towards a net-zero economy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that, in order to avoid catastrophic impacts from climate change, we must limit the average global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C above the preindustrial era. To achieve this target, global carbon emissions must decline by approximately 45% relative to 2010 levels by 2030, and reach net zero around 2050.
Net zero by
2030
Our People
A deliberate blend of seasoned impact and investment professionals
Managing director, CEO
Managing director, CIO
Managing director, COO
C. Hoare & Co., Chair
Baillie Gifford Japan Trust plc, Non-executive director
COOK Ltd., Co-chair
Blackrock Greater Europe Investment Trust, Non executive director
Friends Provident Foundation, CEO
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership - Stewardship manager
Path to Impact, Managing director
Principal
Principal
Principal
Manager
Associate
Associate
Associate
Office manager
Network
Leadership Council
Co-Chair Snowball leadership council, CEO, Green Finance Institute. Former Global Head of Green Banking, Barclays
Co-Chair Snowball leadership council, Chairs The Big Exchange Limited
CEO & Co-founder, CityHive
The Baroness Worthington, Crossbench Peers
Founder, Active Philanthropy
Sustainable Finance Professor, LSE, author of The Road to Net Zero Finance for the UK’s Climate Change Committee, Co-founder of the Financing the Just Transition Alliance.
Chair of Access Foundation, Global Ambassador for the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, Advisory Council, UK Institute for Impact Investment.
Partner & Head of Philanthropy – C. Hoare & Co.
LSE Visiting Professor in Practice, leading a research and engagement project on mobilising private sector capital for public policy priorities and a Responsible Climate Journalism initiative.
Expert Network
Executive Director for the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator
Curiosity Society, Co-opted to the board of London Community Land Trust and an investment committee member of CAF Venturesome’s community-led housing fund
Co-Founder, CIO at Renewity
Merika Advisory
Microfinance Transparency
Independent Director and Advisor, socially responsible investment and sustainable business
Courageous Capital Advisors LLC
Executive Director of Impact Frontiers
Chief Financial Officer and Head of Investor Relations for Birimian Ventures
PROGESA - FIA Business School, EdenLab, FIA Business School
Director of Impact Advisers Capital Ltd
Impact investment consultant
CEO of The Good Economy
Impact investment advisor
Investors, partners and critical friends
We've shared just some of the investors and partners in Snowball.
