Dear Members and Friends,
As we head into June, I wanted to focus on a very busy period coming up. In particular, the plans for a few key activities later in the summer are taking shape.
We have a series of events to coincide with London Climate Action Week. On Tuesday 24th June, a special BEI Climate Change Networking Evening with Jamie Fergusson, Global Director for Climate at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Then, on Wednesday 25th June, International Development Heads of Business roundtable with Rebecca Fabrizi, FCDO SIDS Envoy. On Thursday 26th June, a roundtable on Achieving Systems Change for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Adaptation, in partnership with PIN UK. Later that day, join us for a virtual panel on Blended Finance as a Catalyst for Systems Change, featuring speakers from Climate Sense, Satarla, Palladium, Ricardo.
We are also booking in key Ambassadors and High Commissioners for our ‘Meet The Ambassador’ programme. We’re delighted to have confirmed the following for Monday 30th June: Nigeria and Ghana; Ethiopia; Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan; Armenia and Azerbaijan; and on Monday 7th July, South Africa. Stay tuned as additional Meet The Ambassador events will be announced in the near future.
We are also looking forward to our annual Asian Development Bank roadshow. The UK Roadshow aims to connect the ADB with the latest UK expertise, technologies and solutions that can drive Asia’s growth and development. The ADB delegation will include senior representatives of the Sector Group, ADB’s UK board member, as well as Senior Specialists and Directors for five sectors: Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Digital; Energy; Education; and Health.
We hope to see you at our upcoming programme of events this summer – if you have additional questions, please contact our events team at events@britishexpertise.org.
Looking back at this week, on Thursday we held a virtual event exploring intersections between climate change and social security. Many thanks to our speakers, Dr Anna McCord, ODI Senior Research Associate, and Lead of the Climate Change and Social Protection Research Initiative (CCASP); Katherine Cooke, Principal Consultant - Climate Finance & Policy at Oxford Policy Management; Chad Anderson, Deputy Team Lead and Governance and Capacity Strengthening Specialist at Cowater International; and Stephen Kidd, CEO & Principal Social Security Specialist at Development Pathways. The session highlighted the crucial role of social security systems in addressing climate change vulnerabilities, bringing together a panel of expert speakers to examine strategies for building resilient community systems. Our speakers tackled the question of how companies can best work with Civil Society Organisations, other partners in the international development sphere, and governments at all levels to introduce tools to adapt to climate change.
Next week, join us next week on Tuesday 10th June, join us for an online event on Public-Private Partnerships in the Philippines. This session will provide an overview of the new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) legal framework, bringing insights on best practice in engaging on PPP projects in the Philippines, and showcasing some of the specific opportunities that would be a good fit for UK organisations in the sectors of Transport and ICT.
Also on Tuesday 10th June, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as we host a virtual session on Working Upstream. This event will provide a deep dive on IFC Upstream, and illustrate Upstream in action through examples from Agribusiness and Education sectors.
On 11th June, we look forward to hosting Virginie Fayolle, Head of Climate at Mott MacDonald International Development Services as the keynote speaker at our next Climate Change Networking Evening. This is the updated date for this session, as it was previously postponed from April. We look forward to welcoming you next week.
Next week will also see the release of the UK Government’s Spending Review. Whilst the focus will be largely domestic, we will distil any of the relevant points from an international perspective in next week’s newsletter.
Despite the weather responding to the arrival of June with plenty of showers, I hope you will have a dry and relaxing weekend and we look forward to seeing many of you soon.
David Landsman
Executive Chairman
British Expertise International
Recordings of recent past events:
- 5th June 2025: Intersection of Climate Change and Social Security
- 29th June 2025: Deep Dive Into Infrastructure Opportunities in Kazakhstan
Key events coming up include the following:
- 10th June 2025 09:00 – 10:30 BST: Public-Private Partnerships in the Philippines - The PPP Center, Philippines will provide an overview of the new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) legal framework, bring essential insights on best practice in engaging on PPP projects in the Philippines, and showcase some of the specific opportunities that would be a good fit for UK organisations.
- 10th June 2025 15:00 – 16:30 BST: International Finance Corporation (IFC): Working Upstream - This virtual session will provide a deep dive on IFC Upstream, and illustrate Upstream in action through examples from Agribusiness and Education sectors. Through early-stage project development, financial structuring, and de-risking mechanisms, these services transform high-potential concepts into bankable opportunities that can attract private capital.
- 11th June 2025 16:00 – 19:00 BST: Climate Change Networking Evening - Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation, potential new partnerships and the chance to meet with members of our Climate Change Working Group. Our keynote speaker this time is Virginie Fayolle, Head of Climate at Mott MacDonald International Development Services.
- 17th June 2025 16:00 – 19:00 BST: Best Practice Approaches to Sector and Place Based Skills - Join us for a ‘Best Practice Review’ of the approach taken in the Nuclear Industry to build a truly collaborative approach across Government, Industry, Academia, Education and Commerce to address the long term need for Nuclear Industry- specific skills and the place based skills requirements for specific towns (like Barrow and Plymouth) with high density of specific skills requirement.
- 18th June 2025 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Navigating Risk & Opportunity in Ukraine - Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts present unique partnership opportunities for UK organisations. Our panel, organised in partnership with BEI members Prevail Partners, will provide an overview of the investment landscape, market entry and risk management considerations to help UK organisations navigate opportunities in a rapidly changing environment.
- 24th June 2025 16:00 – 19:00 BST: Climate Change Networking Evening - Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation, potential new partnerships and the chance to meet with members of our Climate Change Working Group. As we celebrate London Climate Action Week, we are delighted to welcome Jamie Fergusson, Global Director for Climate at the IFC.
- 26th June 2025 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Achieving Systems Change for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Adaptation - This roundtable will explore the complexities of Disaster Risk Management, with a particular focus on Early Warning Systems and locally-led solutions to resilience, and discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges.
- 26th June 2025 15:00 – 16:30 BST: Blended Finance as a Catalyst for Systems Change - Bringing together expert voices driving systems change across finance, sustainability and climate resilience, this virtual panel will explore how blended finance can form part of sustainable strategies for driving business growth and long-term resilience.
- 30th June 2025 09:30 – 11:00 BST: Meet the Ambassador: Nigeria & Ghana - Join us in person as we welcome Dr. Richard Montgomery CMG, British High Commissioner to Nigeria & Harriet Thompson, British High Commissioner to Ghana.
- 30th June 2025 11:30 – 12:30 BST: Meet the Ambassador: Ethiopia - Join us in person as we welcome Darren Welch, British Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
- 30th June 2025 13:30 - 15:00 BST: Meet the Ambassador: Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan & Turkmenistan - Join us in person as we welcome His Majesty’s Ambassadors to Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan & Turkmenistan.
- 30th June 2025 15:30 – 17:00 BST: Meet the Ambassador: Armenia & Azerbaijan - Join us in person as we welcome John Gallagher, British Ambassador to Armenia & Fergus Auld, British Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
- 7th July 2025 10:00 – 11:00 BST: Meet the Ambassador: South Africa - Join us as we welcome Antony Phillipson CMG, British High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa.
- 14th July 2025 10:30 – 19:00 BST: ADB Roadshow: Applying British Solutions for Asian Growth and Development - Join us at Arup’s offices (80 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QS) as British Expertise International host a senior delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as part of the 2025 ADB UK Roadshow programme. The UK Roadshow aims to connect the ADB with the latest UK expertise, technologies and solutions that can drive Asia’s growth and development.
External Events and Reports:
- 12th & 13th June 2025: International Law Summits: Energy Arbitration & Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa - International Law Summits is hosting the 8th Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa on 12-13 June. There’s a 10% discount with the code EARLYBIRD2025. Register here.
- 19th - 21st June 2025: Central Asian Expo (CAEx), Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Eco Expo Central Asia will be the region’s largest international platform for dialogue and collaboration on environmental protection and sustainable development. The event will bring together leading experts, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world. Key exhibition sections will include: Green energy, Clean-tech and smart environmental solutions, Water-saving technologies, Green transport, Sustainable agriculture, Environmental education, Green finance, Green construction, Eco-tourism, AI and ecology, FMCG sustainability initiatives, Aral Sea and Priaral region ecology, Urban greening and landscaping, Protected natural areas. Further details are available, here.
- 25th - 26th August 2025: World Women Entrepreneurs Forum (WWEF), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - The World Women Entrepreneurs Forum (WWEF) emerges in response to this urgent need—to not only celebrate the progress made, but to challenge the systems that limit it. Held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme Inspire, Impact, Invest, the Forum will serve as a global platform to uplift women entrepreneurs by fostering connection, capacity, and capital. It will bring together leaders, changemakers, investors, and advocates to co-create an ecosystem where womenled businesses thrive and transform economies.
- 3rd - 5th September 2025, KazBuild 2025, Kazakhstan: Stand booking is now open for international exhibitors at KazBuild exhibition in Kazakhstan - the largest international building and interiors exhibition in Kazakhstan, annually welcoming over 7,000 specialist trade visitors to the show. KazBuild will be held 3-5 September 2025 in Almaty, the biggest city of Kazakhstan. Held since 1994, the exhibition showcases the latest products, services, technologies, and projects available on the market, and provides a key platform for governmental and building industry professionals to exchange experiences, establish cooperation and share the latest industry developments. Please contact Mrs. Tatyana Borodikhina by email: tatyana.borodikhina@exhibitions-conferences.com to learn more about how KazBuild can help to establish your business in Kazakhstan.
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