IEF Lecture: Unlocking Climate Ambitions Through Carbon Markets

IEF Secretary General Jassim Alshirawi is pleased to announce an IEF Lecture by Ms. Riham Elgizy, CEO of the Voluntary Carbon Market Company (VCM), on Monday, 13 October, from 13:00 to 14:00 at the IEF Headquarters in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter.

Ms. Elgizy will outline why carbon markets are increasingly central to global climate ambition and how, with stakeholder participation, they are shaping credible pathways to net zero. The session will examine the role of carbon markets across the wider energy transition: unlocking opportunities, channelling capital to high-impact projects, and accelerating tangible climate mitigation. Participants will gain a clear view of the market’s growing relevance and the opportunities it presents for businesses, policymakers, and investors.

Programme

• 12:30 Coffee and refreshments (lobby)
• 13:00–14:00 Lecture, followed by a roundtable discussion. We warmly welcome your contributions and look forward to learning from your perspectives.

Please register your interest in participation no later than Wednesday, 8 October.

Register Interest

Bibliography

Riham ElGizy is the CEO of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), where she is driving the growth of one of the most ambitious carbon finance platforms focused on scaling climate action in emerging and climate-vulnerable markets. She led the launch of the MENA region’s first voluntary carbon market and carbon credit exchange and has since overseen three of the largest voluntary carbon auctions globally- mobilizing capital for high-integrity climate projects across developing economies.

With more than 20 years of international experience, ElGizy brings deep expertise in mergers and acquisitions, investment strategy, and clean energy. Prior to VCM, she led Investment Valuations and Structuring at Saudi Aramco, advising corporate leadership and government institutions on major investment decisions. She also spent 16 years at BP, holding senior roles across North America and North Africa.

Riham is a Sloan Fellow, with an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she focused on sustainable economic growth and climate innovation in emerging markets. Her work bridges finance, energy, and impact—and reflects a strong commitment to enabling market-based solutions for climate action.

In recognition of her leadership, she was named one of New African magazine’s 100 Most Influential Africans of 2023.