Katarzyna Szwarc

Katarzyna Szwarc serves as a Visiting Professor in Climate Finance at the College of Europe while concurrently holding the position of Vice President for Government & Regulatory Affairs at MSCI, where she leads climate and sustainability initiatives. Her professional trajectory bridges academic research and high-level policy implementation in sustainable finance.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the London School of Economics and Political Science
• Master of Laws from the University of Warsaw

Dr. Szwarc's research centers on sustainable finance and just transition frameworks, with particular emphasis on developing policy mechanisms that integrate climate action with social equity. Her work critically examines financial system transformations required for net-zero economies that protect vulnerable workers and communities, analyzing investor responsibilities in capital allocation and corporate engagement. She has pioneered methodologies for translating macro-level climate goals into granular investor actions across sectors like electric utilities.

Analysis of her publications reveals a consistent focus on operationalizing just transition principles through financial instruments, with increasing attention to sovereign debt mechanisms (green gilts) and public financial institutions (infrastructure banks). Her work demonstrates evolving sophistication in connecting climate risk assessment with social impact metrics, particularly within UK and European regulatory contexts.

Prior to her current roles, she served as High Representative of Poland's Minister of Finance for capital markets development strategy, where she formulated the national Sustainable Finance Roadmap, and held policy positions at the New York Stock Exchange, establishing her as a key architect of sustainable finance policy across transatlantic markets.