Dr Iftekhar Ahmed is an internationally recognised expert in sustainable finance, with extensive research and training experience in climate and inclusive finance for global development. He currently serves as an Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sustainable Finance at Newcastle University Business School (NUBS). He is also the Principal Investigator of INSURE, an externally funded research project at NUBS, where he leads a multidisciplinary team advancing innovative financial solutions to support sustainable, resilient, and just cities. Previously, he has held academic and research positions at the University of Cambridge, University of Otago, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA, and has held guest lectures at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester.
He has conducted research and policy work for several organisations, including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). He is a Lead Author for the IPBES Nexus Assessment, focusing on financial instruments for biodiversity-related elements of the nexus. Previously, he has also contributed to a policy-relevant book chapter on ASEAN energy policy that has been published by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI).
He is pioneering systemic resilience analytics to advance practical solutions for corporates and financial sectors to cope with complex sustainability challenges. His research broadly focuses on different aspects of environmental and social risk analytics for resilient finance to address complex and intertwined global challenges. Current projects try to inform and influence how the work of different stakeholders (including private sector, financial sector, third sector and local governments) can achieve a regenerative and equitable future.
