Grzegorz Zieliński new EBRD Director, Energy Europe

Grzegorz Zieliński is the new Director, Head of Energy Europe, for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Based in Warsaw.

Mr Zieliński succeeds Harry Boyd-Carpenter, who recently became Managing Director, Green Economy and Climate Action, leading the EBRD’s fast-growing work on climate finance as it raises the proportion of its green investments to more than 50 per cent by 2025. Mr Zieliński’s work managing and growing investment in sustainable energy projects in Europe form a key element of this ambition.

“The economies in which the EBRD operates remain among the most energy- and carbon-intensive in the world, both due to fossil fuel dependency and ageing industrial assets and buildings. This represents both a challenge in reshaping these economies to achieve a sustainable future, and also an opportunity for widespread investment that promotes decarbonisation, improves competitiveness and living conditions, and generates employment and economic growth. My goal is to support the creation of this environment,” he said.

A Polish national, Mr Zieliński joined the EBRD in 1998 from Ernst & Young and became a member of the Power and Utilities banking team in 2001. He held several roles in the power and energy sectors before being appointed as Director, Poland, in 2014. In 2015, he took up further responsibility for the Baltic states and since 2018 for central Europe. Under his management, the share of the EBRD’s green business in his region grew to 64 per cent in 2020. In his new position, he will report to Nandita Parshad, EBRD Managing Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Group.