The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Owens as its new Chief Executive Officer. Rachel brings a wealth of experience across philanthropy, civil society and government advocating for sustainability, corporate accountability and transparency, positioning her as a strong leader to drive SSI’s mission forward.
Rachel joins the SSI from the European Climate Foundation, where she served as Director of Climate Finance and Corporate Action. In this role, she played a pivotal part in advancing sustainable finance strategies and strengthening corporate sustainability practices globally. Prior to this, she held various roles at Global Witness including Head of Corporate Accountability, where she worked extensively with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and on global corporate transparency and due diligence laws, advocating for greater corporate transparency and ethical governance.
With a distinguished career dedicated to safeguarding the environment and human rights, Rachel has developed a robust network across civil society organisations, international financial institutions, and philanthropic bodies. Her expertise will be instrumental in enhancing SSI’s efforts to promote responsible solar supply chains and accelerate industry-wide sustainability commitments.
“I am honoured to join the Solar Stewardship Initiative at such a critical time for the renewable energy sector. Responsible and sustainable supply chains are essential to ensuring the success of the solar industry and driving a just transition globally. I look forward to collaborating with partners across the ecosystem to drive meaningful progress,” said Rachel Owens.