Aviva Investors lures insider from Aldersgate for new climate policy role

Aviva Investors has announced it has appointed Nick Molho as the firm's head of climate policy in a newly-created role.

The global asset management business of Aviva said Molho joins from his previous role as executive director at the Aldersgate Group, a cross-economy membership organisation focused on accelerating the UK’s transition towards a net zero emissions economy. 

At the Aldersgate Group, Molho (above) led the overall strategic direction, work programme and policy advocacy activities of the group for the last eight years, covering all key areas of climate and environmental policy, as well as green finance.

At Aviva, he will report to Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer at Aviva Investors.

The investor said in a statement that "Nick will help develop and deliver Aviva Investors’ macro stewardship programme, with an emphasis on promoting the net zero transition at a sectoral level, as well as helping to identify and advocate for specific government policies that would drive a just transition, starting with hard-to-abate sectors such as energy, heavy industry, aviation and shipping." 

He will formally begin his new role in June.

Engagement efforts

Aviva Investors’ macro stewardship programme focuses on engagement with governments, policymakers and other key stakeholders to correct market failures on sustainability issues, the firm explained.

It complements the asset manager’s corporate governance activities which relate to engagement at a corporate level and influencing the companies and physical assets the business invests in

Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer at Aviva Investors, said: “Nick is a hugely respected figure on a broad range of sustainability issues, and I have long admired his work at the Aldersgate Group and before. He brings an unrivalled amount of expertise in this field."

Waygood stressed that "Nick's experience of engaging with companies, financial institutions, regulators, governments and policymakers will be invaluable."