Nigel Topping, CMG, is a distinguished leader and strategist in the field of climate action and sustainability. With a career spanning various sectors, Topping has made significant contributions to the global effort to combat climate change. His commitment to mobilizing climate finance, driving transformative change, and influencing policy at the highest levels underscores his influential role in shaping a sustainable future. In 2024, Topping, in partnership with Gonzalo Muñoz, former UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP25, co-founded AmbitionLoop. This not-for-profit organization is on a mission to drive the positive feedback cycles between governments and businesses to deliver systemic change through radical collaboration with a growing network of actors.
Topping's appointment by the UK Prime Minister as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP26 marked a pivotal moment in his career. In this capacity, in partnership with Gonzalo Munoz, he orchestrated a remarkable global effort, galvanizing the private sector and local governments to take resolute action against climate change. His groundbreaking initiatives, including the Race To Zero and Race To Resilience campaigns, as well as his collaboration with Mark Carney in establishing the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, have set the stage for unprecedented progress in climate action. He followed this in partnership with COP27 UN Climate Champion Dr Mahmoud Mohieden in launching the Sharm el Sheikh Adaptation Agenda and significantly shifting the international conversation on climate finance by commissioning the Stern-Songwe report, Finance for Climate Action and by bringing together project originators and financial institutions to tackle the pragmatic barriers to climate finance in the global South.
Topping started his career in the manufacturing industry, running and owning businesses in the automotive supply chain, including building TMD Friction into the largest producer of brake pads in the world. His work on climate change started with CDP and continued as CEO of the We Mean Business coalition including a key role in bringing the positive voice of business to bear on the successful outcome of the 2015 COP21 in Paris. Continuing his mission to drive sustainable change, Topping now serves as NED on the UK Infrastructure Bank and as the business champion on the UK Climate Change Committee as well as holding several advisory roles including with FSD Africa, UN Climate Change High-Level Climate Champions, the Breakthrough Agenda [a coalition of 57 countries driving breakthrough change launched at COP26], Mission Possible Partnership, Energy Transitions Commission and the AXA Investment Institute.
Topping is an Honorary Professor of Economics at Exeter University, focusing on the non-linear nature of the economics of technology disruption and working to change government and capital markets understanding of the exponential nature of the transition to clean technology.
Nigel Topping's dedication to advancing climate action has not gone unnoticed and was recognized with a CMG (Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George) distinction in Queen Elizabeth's final honors list in 2022.
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