Yingzhi (Sarah) Tang (BES ’16, MES’20) is an international green finance researcher fascinated by the critical role the financial sector could play in solving the climate and biodiversity crises.
With a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and two bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Environmental Studies, Sarah has dedicated her work to understanding climate-related physical and transition risks and, raising awareness towards an urgent need of a “green and just” recovery from the COVID-19 recession, through multiple research projects in Canada, China, and Switzerland.
After graduating, Sarah did an internship with the United Nations Environment Programme — Finance Initiative in Geneva where, despite the severe and devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, she contributed towards the first Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) guide for the insurance industry and the impactful pilot study of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) for (re)insurers.
As a freelance Climate Project Researcher, Sarah went on to support the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation’s climate risk matrix project for Canada’s banking and insurance sectors.
Today, she applies her research skills at the International Institute of Green Finance in Beijing, China, where her work is supported by multilateral development banks and focuses on green recovery policy instruments and developing country-specific sustainable finance roadmaps.
Outside of work, Sarah devotes her time and energy towards building an environmentally conscious, culturally diverse, and creative community. She started a podcast with two of her friends to share stories and create public discussion on entrepreneurship and creative work. The podcast highlights success stories, cultural diversity and identity struggles of international students studying abroad.