Lord Christopher Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond, is set to deliver the keynote address at Finextra’s fifth SustainableFinance.LIVE conference and hackathon on November 29th. As a prominent advocate for leveraging technology in financial services, particularly within Westminster, Lord Holmes aims to inspire progress through innovation and collaboration at this pivotal event.
Renowned within the Finextra community, Lord Holmes is expected to share his deep commitment to effecting real change from the highest levels of governance. He expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating, “I am thrilled to be the keynote speaker at the SustainableFinance.LIVE conference later this month. The emphasis on uniting industry leaders to exchange cutting-edge technologies, decarbonization strategies, and broader ESG initiatives could not come at a more critical time. We must view ESG not just in terms of environmental, social, and corporate governance but as a global, existential imperative.”
Highlighting the importance of sustainable finance, Lord Holmes acknowledged positive strides made by organizations such as HSBC and BMO Financial Group, which have invested significantly in Bill Gates’ decarbonization efforts through the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst program. He also noted Ethereum’s successful transition from a ‘proof of work’ to a ‘proof of stake’ consensus, resulting in a remarkable 99% reduction in CO2 emissions. However, he underscored that these initiatives represent just the beginning of what must be accomplished.
Among the initiatives that particularly excite Lord Holmes is the Electronic Trade Documents Bill currently progressing through the UK Parliament. He described it as “the most important bill you’ve never heard of,” emphasizing its potential to digitize trade documents and significantly enhance security, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability within the UK trade sector. According to the World Economic Forum, the bill could potentially decrease global carbon emissions from logistics by as much as 10-12%.
For those interested in participating, registration for the conference and hackathon is now open. For more details about the event, please visit the SustainableFinance.LIVE website.