Justin Adams

Justin has spent more than 20 years championing innovation and sustainability. Most recently he has worked as a Senior Advisor to the World Bank where he helped design and raise $300 million for the BioCarbon Fund’s Initiative for Sustainable Forested Landscapes. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the Duke of Westminster’s new agricultural fund – Wheatsheaf Investments and built a boutique advisory business working with NGOs and companies on issues including palm oil expansion, restoring degraded lands, improving smallholder yields and sustainable bioenergy.

Previously, Justin was a senior executive at BP for 10 years where he helped to build its $8 billion renewables division, Alternative Energy. As Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, he created and led BP’s corporate venture arm – BP Ventures – managing an investment portfolio of $150 million across 30 entrepreneurial companies. He also consolidated and led BP’s carbon-related activities (including carbon capture & storage and REDD) under the banner of Carbon Solutions. In his previous role as Director Long-Term Technology and Innovation, he helped establish a number of pioneering public-private technology and innovation initiatives and partnerships in China, India, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Justin is a Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford and is also completing a role as Chairman of Mendel Plant Sciences. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Bath, in the United Kingdom.