Karin Ireton

Karin Ireton is a senior advisor within FTI Consulting’s ESG & Sustainability segment. Karin is an independent corporate sustainable development consultant and non-executive director. She specialises in consulting integrating sustainable development and the management of ESG and climate-related risks into business practice, sustainable finance and climate risk management.

Prior to several years of recent independent work, Karin held executive sustainable development roles at Standard Bank, Anglo-American and Eskom . She was instrumental in establishing and running the previously titled Industrial Environmental Forum of Southern Africa.

Karin’s recent engagements include acting as lead consultant in the development of the National Treasury Paper on financing a sustainable economy, developing guidance for the World Bank on management and disclosure of climate-related risks for state-owned enterprises, as well as work on responsible banking for the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (“UNEPFI”). Since the publication of the first draft of the National Treasury paper in 2020, she has chaired the Disclosure Working Group and has spoken at numerous webinars and training sessions.

Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Karin was a non-executive director on the Exxaro Resources Limited Board and on its Social and Ethics and Risk Committees, a trustee of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (“EWT”) and chair of the EWT’s Social and Ethics Committee . She was previously a non-executive director on the Board of London and Toronto listed West African gold miner, Aureus Inc. Karin serves on the Camco Clean Energy Sustainable Business Committee. A past chair of the Institute of Directors (“IoD”) Sustainable Development Forum, she now serves on its Social and Ethics Forum. She has worked with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa to develop better disclosure on sustainability issues.

Karin works closely with the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), the World Bank and UNEPFI on issues of climate change and the financing of the transformation to a greener economy.

Relevant Experience:

• National Treasury Paper on Financing a Sustainable Economy (lead author); chair of Disclosure Working Group, lead author on Principles for Minimum Disclosure publication
• Consultant to the International Finance Corporation’s Environment and Social Risk Management (“IFC ESRM”) programme
• Consultant to several financial institutions and their boards on sustainability issues
• Lead consultant for the World Bank Toolkit on Managing and Disclosure of Climate Related Risks for State Owned Enterprises
• Principles for Responsible Banking,” lead author (UNEPFI)
• Chaired sessions or delivered papers on sustainability issues at conferences around the world, including the UK, Europe, the Middle East, India and South Africa; travelled to 35 countries throughout her career
• Previously chaired the Global Reporting Initiative’s Stakeholder Council
• Active participant in the development of King IV