UNEP Banner

Alena Cierna - Slovak, Europe

2018 Winner | | Slovak

Finance for a Sustainable Future aims to change the way capital flows help shape our societies by addressing the knowledge gap of junior investment analysts on sustainability. Finance for a Sustainable Future promotes skills to assess sustainability exposures of potential investments as core competencies for the new generation of finance executives, and raises awareness about the importance of engaging young finance professionals in the debate about the future of finance. A core project of the initiative is an educational programme for 30 finance students and young professionals from across Europe with 2 days of lectures and workshops led by industry experts. Currently in its first year, the programme has garnered support from leading international companies and financial firms and will take place in August 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic. 

I studied International Relations at the London School of Economics and Development Studies at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. While finishing my studies, I developed the idea for an initiative that raises awareness about sustainability exposures of financial investments among finance students and young professionals, and I co-founded Finance for a Sustainable Future. I am from Slovakia and currently work for the Belgian landscape restoration NGO, WeForest. I am a US Department of State BFTF Fellow, LSE Kadas Scholar and McKinsey Next Generation Women Leader.

Disclaimer: NOTE: This content was shared online for the 2019 cycle of the Young Champions of the Earth programme and has not been updated. This listing does not constitute any endorsement by nor status with the UN Environment Programme.

Explore More