Tesco executive joins sustainable investment group as investor engagement lead
Steven Ripley has joined the Sustainable Investment Management (SIM) team as director, investor engagement.
He has spent his entire professional career working towards creating value for forests, according to SIM. He has held positions with the UN, Global Canopy, IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative and Tesco, as well as a decade working for software firms developing commodity traceability systems.
Career highlights include establishing the first fully traceable palm oil mill, (including smallholders), for Wilmar in Borneo, establishing forests as a central component of corporate reporting with CDP, and getting the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF) up and running with the help of colleagues at Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose.
The RCF is a new system of financial incentives for farmers in Brazil who commit to deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) soy cultivation.
“We’re thrilled Steven is joining our team. His passion and commitment to the RCF over the last few years whilst at Tesco has been instrumental in the success of the first Cerrado program, and in establishing the model for retailer investment. The next few years will see the facility grow rapidly and we’re grateful to have Steven onboard to drive it forward,” said Pedro Moura Costa, SIM UK CEO.
“It’s rare to encounter genuinely disruptive business models which can simultaneously create value for forests, make money for investors, be financially self-sustaining and infinitely scalable. RCF has all these characteristics and after 20 years working in forests and commodities, I’m convinced it will be a game changer. I couldn’t be more motivated to make it succeed,” commented Ripley.
Ripley holds a Masters in International Environmental Law and a Bachelors in Environmental Science.
