Anna Skarbek
Chief Executive Officer
Anna Skarbek is CEO of Climateworks Centre, working to develop the low carbon economy. A former banker and green policy adviser, Anna has led Climateworks since its creation in 2009, analysing emissions reduction opportunities, setting the ambition and unblocking barriers to implementation. Climateworks’ independent and non-partisan approach, co-founded by The Myer Foundation and Monash University, sees Anna working with multiple federal government departments as well as state governments and large corporations along with other stakeholders including investors, and business, environment and civil society leaders.
Anna was a founding board director of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Carbon Market Institute, and is currently a director of the Green Building Council of Australia, the Centre for New Energy Technologies and Sentient Impact Group. She is a member of the Blueprint Institute’s strategic advisory council and the Grattan Institute’s energy program reference panel, and was the 2020 Mission Innovation Champion for Australia.
In 2022 Anna was one of six leaders in climate and finance to join the Advisory Board of the newly formed Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). She was also invited to become a member of the influential women in leadership organisation, Chief Executive Women (CEW).
Anna is a former director of Impact Investment Group, the Linking Melbourne Authority, Amnesty International Australia and The Big Issue. She was a member of the Australian Government’s Energy White Paper reference panel, Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board and NGO Roundtable on Climate Change, and of Victoria’s Independent Review of the Climate Change Act and South Australia’s Low Carbon Economy Expert Panel.
Anna has a background as an investment banker, policy advisor and lawyer. Before Climateworks, she worked in London’s carbon markets as Vice President of Advisory with Climate Change Capital, an investment manager raising capital for low carbon activities. Anna’s prior career in Australia included senior policy advisor to the Victorian Deputy Premier and Minister for Water, Environment and Climate Change, investment banker in Macquarie Bank’s energy and utilities team, and solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques.
She has a Bachelor of Commerce/Law with Honours from Monash University. Anna is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has completed leadership and management programs at Oxford University’s Said Business School and Melbourne University’s Business School.
