Capital and carbon: Australian green finance pioneer Martijn Wilder honoured in King’s birthday awards

Early on in Martijn Wilder’s finance career, he realised more money should be invested in the environment.

As the natural world does not return a commercial economic value in the traditional sense, that’s prompted an exploration of innovative financial tools to unlock green capital.

“And that’s a journey that we are still very much on,” he told AAP.

Mr Wilder has been awarded the second-highest honour an Australian can receive for his pioneering work in sustainable finance, renewables, conservation and climate law. 

The Order of Australia recipient is currently chief executive of climate investment and advisory firm Pollination, and has been tasked with chairing and setting up the National Reconstruction Fund.

The Albanese government’s $15 billion federal fund, now two-and-a-half years old, is about supporting new industries to diversify Australia’s economy beyond “growing and digging things”.

It’s not his first rodeo in public finance institutions.

Mr Wilder was appointed to chair Low Carbon Australia in 2010, which marked the government’s first-ever foray into funding energy efficiency.

He went on serve on the inaugural board of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the nation’s green bank, and from there chaired the Australian Renewable Energy Agency for nearly six years.

With appointments from both sides of politics, Mr Wilder was able to contribute to institutions with lasting impact and is hopeful the work has helped shape Australia’s economy to be more innovative and resilient in the face of climate change.

“Australia is a leader in this space,” he said, adding that the east coast energy grid’s recent milestone of achieving more than half of supply from renewables ”is a remarkable achievement, considering where we were 15-20 years ago.”

Australia is facing a more complex geopolitical situation than 10 years ago when there was more international support for the low-carbon transition.

But even as the US leans into fossil fuels, he highlights a renewed focus elsewhere on diversifying the energy mix to improve security.

Against this backdrop, Mr Wilder views Australia’s support of public institutions to back new industries and innovations as a welcome constant.

Family, books and sport keep him focused and sane after spending years in such demanding – but rewarding – roles.

“Tennis, touch footy and swimming – sport is really important.”

AAP