Morningstar has announced the appointment of Jodie Tapscott as head of climate and nature solutions at Morningstar Sustainalytics, strengthening its leadership as demand for credible climate and biodiversity data accelerates. Based in London, Tapscott will report to David Pagliaro, chief strategy and product officer and incoming president of Morningstar Sustainalytics.
Tapscott brings more than two decades of financial services experience, including senior roles in sustainable finance across global markets. She most recently served as senior vice-president for responsible investing strategy and portfolio solutions at AllianceBernstein. Her previous experience includes leading Sustainalytics’ APAC ex-Japan business and holding senior responsible investment and corporate responsibility roles at CFS in Australia.
In her new position, Tapscott will oversee the firm’s climate and nature product strategy, with a remit to drive innovation at the intersection of climate mitigation, adaptation, and nature resilience. She will guide the expansion of research, metrics, data and reporting tools to help investors assess risks, opportunities, impacts and dependencies across climate and biodiversity.
Morningstar Sustainalytics’ existing portfolio spans carbon emissions data, low-carbon transition ratings, physical climate-risk models and nature-related datasets, complemented by broader regulatory and stewardship services. Tapscott’s team will initially prioritise enhancements including the NZIF toolkit, a unified climate dashboard, advanced physical-climate and biodiversity value-at-risk tools, and wider climate and nature data coverage.
Pagliaro welcomed the appointment, saying: “We are delighted to have Jodie join us in this pivotal role. Her deep expertise in climate and nature solutions, combined with her global sustainable finance leadership, will be invaluable as we enter a new chapter for the business.”
Tapscott said she was joining at a critical moment for the industry. “Climate change is one of the biggest systemic risks of our generation, and investment capital continues to play a critical role in financing global sustainability solutions,” she said. “I’m thrilled to join the business at this vital juncture, in a role that enables me to apply an investor lens to accelerating deforestation, water stress and ocean degradation, in support of planetary and economic resilience.”
