Rathbones and Greenbank are delighted to partner with 5x15 for The Earth Convention 2025, a three-part series offering insights into the urgent issues facing our changing world. The first session ‘Energy and Finance’ will reflect on the future of energy.
Article last updated 17 April 2025.
Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
London SW7 2AR
If you are a client of Rathbones or Greenbank, please contact us at marketing@greenbankinvestments.com to claim a free ticket for the events in this series.
Rathbones and Greenbank are delighted to partner with 5x15 for The Earth Convention 2025, a three-part series featuring celebrated speakers and offering insights into the urgent issues facing our changing world.
The first session, Energy and Finance, invites a stellar panel of speakers to reflect on the future of energy, including world-leading historian Peter Frankopan, author of The Earth Transformed, esteemed writer and researcher Mike Berners-Lee, Greenbank's stewardship and engagement lead, Sophie Lawrence, and natural capital expert Siddarth Shrikanth. You can read more about the speakers below.
Whether it's fossil fuels or renewables, every year we use more and more energy. Can the planet survive this? Are current energy usage levels out of line with a net zero future? These are some of the biggest questions of our time.
Join us to hear a panel of cutting-edge thinkers provide some answers. They will offer a glimpse into the solutions of the future, from alternative technologies and green energy, to natural capital and the crucial role of finance. Hosted by 5x15 co-founder Rosie Boycott, this vital discussion will also help identify the actions we can all take.
Oxford University
Author and Professor of Global History
Author and Professor of Global History
Oxford University
Peter Frankopan is Professor of Global History at Oxford University. His bestselling books includeThe Silk Roads: A New History of the World (2015), which was described as “not just the most important history book in years, but the most important in decades” (Berliner Zeitung) and, most recently, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History (2023), which looks at the role played by climate, nature the environment since the dawn of time. It has been a major bestseller around the world, and was a Financial Times, Sunday Times, Le Point, Guardian Book of the Year, and The Times History Book of the Year.
Peter Frankopan is Professor of Global History at Oxford University. His bestselling books includeThe Silk Roads: A New History of the World (2015), which was described as “not just the most important history book in years, but the most important in decades” (Berliner Zeitung) and, most recently, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History (2023), which looks at the role played by climate, nature the environment since the dawn of time. It has been a major bestseller around the world, and was a Financial Times, Sunday Times, Le Point, Guardian Book of the Year, and The Times History Book of the Year.
Small World Consulting
Founder and Director
Founder and Director
Small World Consulting
Mike Berners-Lee is the founder and Director of Small World Consulting, which has been working on climate change since 2005. He thinks, writes, researches and speaks about sustainability and the big system changes needed to overcome the climate and ecological crises in the Anthropocene. He’s also a Professor at Lancaster University. His inspiring new book, A Climate of Truth, looks at the challenge from new angles.
Mike Berners-Lee is the founder and Director of Small World Consulting, which has been working on climate change since 2005. He thinks, writes, researches and speaks about sustainability and the big system changes needed to overcome the climate and ecological crises in the Anthropocene. He’s also a Professor at Lancaster University. His inspiring new book, A Climate of Truth, looks at the challenge from new angles.
Greenbank
Stewardship and Engagement Lead
Stewardship and Engagement Lead
Greenbank
Sophie Lawrence is Stewardship and Engagement Lead at Greenbank. She is responsible for the delivery of key engagement projects, building relationships with external partner organisations, and shaping Greenbank’s engagement strategy, priorities and reporting. She started her career at Barclays Bank in 2013 and most recently spent three years at KKS Advisors, a strategy consultancy in London where she led a team specialising in sustainable and impact investment. She chairs the Investor Coalition on Food Policy, a £6tn investor coalition engaging with the UK Government on food policy and is also a trustee for FareShare South West.
Sophie Lawrence is Stewardship and Engagement Lead at Greenbank. She is responsible for the delivery of key engagement projects, building relationships with external partner organisations, and shaping Greenbank’s engagement strategy, priorities and reporting. She started her career at Barclays Bank in 2013 and most recently spent three years at KKS Advisors, a strategy consultancy in London where she led a team specialising in sustainable and impact investment. She chairs the Investor Coalition on Food Policy, a £6tn investor coalition engaging with the UK Government on food policy and is also a trustee for FareShare South West.
Author and natural capital expert
Author and natural capital expert
Siddarth Shrikanth, the author of The Case for Nature. He has an academic background in biology from Oxford and policy and business degrees from Harvard and Stanford, and is now based in London as a nature and climate investor at Just Climate.
Siddarth Shrikanth, the author of The Case for Nature. He has an academic background in biology from Oxford and policy and business degrees from Harvard and Stanford, and is now based in London as a nature and climate investor at Just Climate.
Stock markets have reacted badly to the worse than expected news on US trade policy. We favour a more conservative asset allocation in response – but it’s possible to be too gloomy.
5 mins
Markets are tumbling fast in response to US tariffs that will upend global trade. Perhaps more dangerous than the policy itself is just how silly it makes the administration look.
9 mins
Arguably the best investor of all time has decided to retire at the end of the year. Meanwhile, UK interest rates are forecast to fall in a bid to prop up the economy.
6 mins