Nigel Topping

At the forefront of instigating climate change policy is Nigel Topping, the recently named High Level Champion for Climate Action COP26. With more than 30 years in senior business positions, a decade of which in the environmental sector, Nigel has dedicated his career to transforming corporate responsibility for their impact on the planet. Able to offer insights into the policies businesses can implement to strengthen their environmental response, Nigel applies his knowledge to a range of sectors as a speaker. Engaging, thought-provoking and equipped with implementable strategies, Nigel’s presentations are guaranteed to be the catalyst for progressive change.

Best recognised for the five years he spent as the CEO of WE MEAN BUSINESS, Nigel led the collaborative organisation into a new generation of partnerships. With the ambition of combating climate change on a global level, Nigel was responsible for liaising with international businesses and policymakers to approve a strategy to quickly bring about impactful change. As part of his role, Nigel was pivotal in securing the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, a futureproofed blueprint for global action. Prior to leading WMB, Nigel was the Executive Director of CDP and formerly the Chief Innovation Officer. In this position, he launched programmes in the areas of water, forests and cities, each with environmental impact as the focus. A thought-leader and trusted authority in his field, Nigel spent over seven years at CDP.

A graduate of Cambridge University, Nigel began his career as a Manufacturing Systems Engineering Consultant and has since gone on to become one of the most sought-after experts in environmental impact and climate policy. He currently sits on the board in several advisory positions due to his senior knowledge on such prominent topics, and is a Trustee for Darlington Hall Trust, a Board Member for London Pension Fund Authority and an Advisor to Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. Effortlessly transferring his industry insights into engaging presentations, Nigel has also given a TED talk titled ‘We Need to Green the Economy While Restarting It’.

In 2020 Nigel was named as the UK High Level Climate Action Champion for the UN climate talks taking place at COP26. Tasked with communicating with governments and organisations on behalf of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Nigel is supporting the goal of reducing emissions by 50%. In 2022, Nigel was awarded the Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George by the Queen in her Birthday Honours List. Awarded for his services to climate change, Nigel was specifically recognised for his role in supporting the UK Presidency of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, in which his mission was to elevate the leadership of non-state actors to support and enhance the ambition of governments to accelerate action to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. In 2023, Nigel is acting as a Global Ambassador of Race To Zero and Race To Resilience, accelerating the impact of zero carbon targets and building climate resilience. As a speaker, Nigel expands on his current role and the strategies that can futureproof businesses with regard to environmental impact.