• Lynne Baber will lead PwC’s global sustainability strategy and sustainability practice after more than 20 years at the firm.
• Her appointment comes as sustainability moves deeper into strategy, risk, operations, technology, supply chains and capital allocation.
• Baber said regulatory compliance, energy strategy and materiality now sit at the center of business resilience and value creation.

PwC has appointed Lynne Baber as its new Global Sustainability Leader, placing a long-serving ESG executive at the helm of its worldwide sustainability strategy and advisory practice.

Baber succeeds Colm Kelly, who is retiring from PwC after serving as Global Sustainability Leader since 2020. Her appointment comes as corporate sustainability shifts from voluntary commitments toward harder questions of regulation, resilience, capital allocation and operating performance.

For global executives, the move also reflects a wider change in the advisory market. Sustainability is no longer treated as a narrow reporting function. It is now embedded in boardroom decisions on supply chains, energy use, transition risk, technology, compliance and stakeholder trust.

A Senior PwC Insider Takes the Role

Baber joined PwC in 2003 and has spent more than two decades at the firm. During that time, she has held several senior ESG and sustainability roles.

She has led PwC’s UK Sustainability practice since 2022. Earlier in 2025, she also became Global Sustainability Deputy Leader. That experience gives her a direct view of both client demand and the internal challenge of aligning PwC’s sustainability work across markets.

In her announcement, Baber framed the appointment around a sharper business case for sustainability.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to share that tomorrow I take on the role of Global Sustainability Leader at PwC. The business world’s approach to sustainability has changed. It is less about standalone initiatives and broad-based activity, and much more about focusing on what is truly material — the issues that have the greatest impact on business performance, resilience, stakeholders and society. That shift matters. The business case is key. As supply chains are redrawn by geopolitics as much as climate change, effective compliance with sustainability regulations can be the difference between profitability and liability. Getting your energy strategy right can transform the economics of an operation. Despite recent changes, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive will still apply to around 50,000 companies.”

Her comments point to the new reality facing multinational companies. Sustainability regulation is becoming more complex. At the same time, investors and customers are asking for clearer evidence that ESG plans can protect margins, reduce risk and support long-term growth.

Sustainability Moves Into Core Strategy

Baber’s appointment lands during a period of intense debate over corporate sustainability rules. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive remains one of the most influential frameworks for global companies. Even with recent changes, its reach continues to affect thousands of businesses with European operations or supply chain exposure.

That has raised the stakes for C-suite leaders. Reporting is no longer only about disclosure. It is increasingly linked to data systems, governance controls, assurance, procurement, legal risk and capital planning.

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Baber said this broader connection will shape her work. “That makes this a particularly important (and exciting) time to be working in this field. Sustainability is increasingly connected to strategy, risk, operations, technology, supply chains, capital allocation and trust. I’ll be focused on supporting our clients as they navigate this evolving agenda, while also advancing PwC’s own sustainability actions and commitments.”

For PwC, the leadership change positions its sustainability practice around material business impacts. That is a crucial distinction in a market where clients face rising scrutiny over the quality of ESG claims and the reliability of transition plans.

Companies are also under pressure to make sustainability spending more accountable. Energy strategy, climate risk, supply chain redesign and regulatory compliance now sit close to the finance function. Investors want to know which actions reduce exposure and which create measurable value.

What Executives Should Watch

Baber’s message will resonate with boards that are trying to move beyond broad climate pledges. Many companies now need practical decisions on where to invest, what to disclose, how to prepare for assurance and how to manage policy uncertainty across regions.

The governance challenge is also growing. Sustainability teams need stronger links with finance, legal, risk, procurement, technology and operations. That integration will determine whether companies can respond to changing rules without creating fragmented systems or weak controls.

Baber also acknowledged the role played by her predecessor. “I want to thank Colm Kelly for his leadership and for the strong foundations he has built across these roles and wish him well in retirement. I’m looking forward to collaborating with clients, colleagues and teams across PwC to help unlock value, accelerate progress and build trust through our actions.”

Her appointment places PwC’s global sustainability work firmly in the next phase of ESG advisory. The focus is moving from ambition to execution, and from disclosure to business performance.

For companies operating across borders, that shift has clear implications. Sustainability now affects market access, financing, supply chain resilience and regulatory risk. PwC’s new leadership reflects that reality, as the global ESG agenda becomes more commercial, more regulated and more central to corporate strategy.