AFB Seminar: The Financial-Environmental Crime Nexus – Uncovering Potential Risks for Banks

AFB members are invited to attend an in-person seminar on financial-environmental crime in partnership with Themis, a provider of financial crime prevention solutions. This practical session will provide insights into: 

• The scope, scale and severity of environmental crime, as well as key definitions and examples
• The extensive convergence between environmental crime and other financial crimes 
• How international banks can be exposed to these activities 
• The resultant regulatory, legal, ESG, reputational and physical/supply chain risk, especially in relation to deforestation, land conversion, illicit mining and the illegal wildlife trade 
• Case studies illustrating how the financial sector is exposed to environmental crime and related financial crimes
• Practical takeaways on what banks can do to mitigate this risk exposure.   

Why attend?

The presentation (followed by Q&A) will focus on research undertaken as part of Themis’ work alongside WWF on environmental and financial crimes, including two published reports (‘Financial Crimes and Land Conversion: Uncovering the Risk for Financial Institutions’ (2024) and ‘Dissecting the Environmental Financial Crime Nexus: A Spotlight on the Illegal Wildlife Trade’ (2025)), as well as an upcoming piece on illicit mining.

It will also highlight Themis and WWF’s associated Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit, which was launched at COP16 in Cali, Colombia in October 2024.

Who should attend?

This session is aimed at senior members of Risk, Compliance, Financial Crime, ESG and Sustainability teams at AFB member banks.

Speakers

Nadia O’Shaughnessy, Head of Insight, Themis

Nadia heads up the Themis Insight team, leading Themis’ financial crime research and training work. She has managed a range of Themis projects focused on illicit financial flows, environmental crime, human trafficking and sanctions. Nadia has a diverse background in international affairs and research. Prior to joining Themis, she completed assignments at the United Nations, FTI Consulting, NATO Parliamentary Assembly and European Commission. Nadia has a dual master’s from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po, Paris, and a Double First Class undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge, all in the sphere of International Relations.

Olivia Dakeyne, Principal – Research, Themis

Olivia Dakeyne is the Research Principal at Themis, where she leads financial and environmental crime research projects for the private and public sector, including for a number of governments and NGOs across the world. Her research specialisms are environmental crime and modern slavery and human trafficking, especially through the lens of serious organised transnational crime. She has 15 years’ varied experience across the public, private and heritage sectors in a fulltime and freelance capacity, including in research and due diligence, finance, sustainability, policy, project management, compliance and governance, and strategy for organisations and clients like the NHS, the Natural History Museum, the Spectator Magazine, ClientEarth and Kew Gardens

Emily Hsu, Environmental and Financial Crime Researcher, Themis

Emily is a researcher at Themis, focusing on the convergence between environmental and financial crimes. Prior to joining Themis, she worked in a variety of roles across academia, private sector consulting, and the public sector, including for the Australian Attorney-General’s Department. Emily holds a Master of Science with distinction from the University of Oxford, and a First Class Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne, both in the fields of environmental politics and law.

Logistics

Fee:              Included in AFB membership (no fee)

Location:    Themis, 1-2 Paris Garden, London SE1 8ND

                    (nearest stations: Blackfriars, Southwark or Waterloo)

Date:           Thursday 22 May 2025

Time:           09:00 – 10:15 (arrival & refreshments from 8:30)

If you would like to submit a question that you would like the session to address, please send them to AFB at secretariat@foreignbanks.org.uk You will receive details on how to join this in-person session a week before the event.