Ambika Jindal

Dear Ambika, let’s start this interview by asking you to introduce yourself to our Leaders in Finance audience – please tell us a bit more about yourself, how you landed in the field of Sustainability and what it is that a Global Head of Systemic Change Accelerator does on a day to day basis?
Thank you for having me. My journey in finance began on Wall Street almost 20 years ago, then took me to a Bloomberg newsroom in Mumbai, where I learnt the power of information. After that I joined ING in credit risk, and that opened the door to sustainable finance – a pivotal point in my career. Along the way, I was seconded to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work on water challenges and later helped drive ING’s Wholesale Banking sustainability strategy on climate, biodiversity and human rights. Each step in my career has deepened my belief that finance can be a force for good, and that conviction drives the work I do today. Today, I lead a newly established team at ING focused on creating innovative commercial solutions to help our clients tackle the systemic challenges of their sustainability transitions. We combine financial expertise with advocacy, engaging clients, industry peers, policymakers and experts to drive meaningful and positive impact. My day-to-day is therefore a dynamic blend of ideation and execution. My team keeps an innovation mindset to identify challenges, explore potential solutions, and learn as much as we can. At the same time, we take decisive action to set ING on the path to help deliver those solutions and create real impact. Our key focus areas are strengthening our client engagement, exploring scope3 solutions and driving ING’s advocacy to support our clients.

Your LinkedIn statement highlights a devotion to bringing systemic change ‘by transforming organisations from within’. What does ‘systemic change’ mean in the context of sustainable finance today, and where do you see the biggest levers for meaningful transformation inside financial institutions?
Systemic change in sustainable finance is about shifting the underlying rules of the game so that sustainable solutions can become commercially viable and scalable. What is cutting-edge today needs to be the new business-as-usual tomorrow and that means money needs to flow there. It means moving beyond incremental improvements towards creating enabling conditions where sustainability is not just possible but commercially compelling. Banks have a unique role here: using financial expertise to translate long-term impact into short-term value, so that doing the right thing becomes the smart thing. When we can align commercial incentives with sustainability outcomes, transformation accelerates, and that’s when real change happens.
For example, ING partnered with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation and others to launch the Fund for Energy Efficiency Technologies (FEET), the world’s first energy efficiency retrofit fund for vessels, using a pay-as-you-save model. By offering up to 100% upfront financing for energy efficiency retrofits for making ships more sustainable and linking repayments to verified fuel savings, FEET removes key financial barriers and aligns incentives across the maritime value chain. This collaborative approach creates a scalable blueprint for tackling systemic challenges in shipping and beyond.

You have shared a beautiful Emerson quote on your LinkedIn about leaving the world a bit better. How does this philosophy shape your approach to leadership, especially when navigating the complexities and pressures of sustainable finance?
I believe leadership in sustainable finance means balancing long-term vision with short-term realities. A question that resonates with me is: “Are you a good ancestor?”—a reminder that today’s decisions shape the world for generations. In business, focusing solely on quarterly targets without building for the future is not commercially smart. My approach is to ensure short-term noise does not crowd out long-term value by aligning future impact with near-term commercial outcomes. Progress depends on helping people see that connection.
For example, my team prioritises strategic client engagement by deeply understanding transition pathways and financing needs, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions rather than standard transactions. We invest time to explore options and partner throughout the journey, not just when clients are ready to act. We are also working on ways to help clients address Scope 3 challenges in their upstream supply chains. This requires patience, innovation, and buy-in, not only from senior leaders but also from experts who can co-create these solutions.

Many leaders agree on the vision for a more sustainable financial system, but execution is far harder. What practical steps do you believe organisations must take in the next three years to move from ambition to measurable impact?
Too many leaders and sustainability teams today focus heavily on sustainability strategy, reporting and target-setting. While these are important, they are not enough to drive real change. To move from ambition to action, leaders must understand what triggers action within their organisation, whether it is risk management, new business opportunities or brand value. So the practical steps I’d suggest are to firstly really ensure your sustainability narrative compliments the key value drivers of your organisation. Secondly, encourage your teams to go beyond reporting and compliance to meaningful action and implementation by embedding sustainability in core decision making processes and incentives. Thirdly, manage the fatigue sustainability can create in this phase where reporting is suddenly increasing so that people stay engaged and motivated to take sustainability action.
At ING, we aim to drive down emissions by steering our loan portfolios towards net-zero and supporting clients in carbon-intensive sectors with science-based targets. We build up by financing renewable energy and new technologies to accelerate a low-carbon future. We aim to include everyone through initiatives like home energy upgrades people and businesses can actively participate in the shift. We accelerate systems level change where possible not just through our business but also through our partnerships and advocacy to create the enabling environment needed for our clients to transition.

If we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, what innovations or shifts in sustainable finance give you the most hope—and what keeps you up at night?
There’s a lot to be hopeful about in 2026. Clean energy is becoming the cheapest power source, electric vehicles are finally reaching mass adoption, and major economies are competing to scale green technologies. Banks like mine and our clients are staying on course despite the political noise. We’re also seeing real progress in how companies report their environmental impact, which brings more transparency and accountability than ever before. These shifts may feel slow day to day, but together they show that the sustainability transition is becoming embedded in business.
At the same time, we can’t ignore the challenges. Geopolitical tensions, extreme weather, and slow infrastructure build-out could all hold back progress. And as economic pressure rises, we’re already seeing pockets of backlash against sustainability efforts. What keeps me up at night is people losing hope and us losing momentum just when we need it most.
But overall, I feel hopeful. The direction of travel is clear, and the innovation and ambition I see, across governments, businesses, and communities, all make me believe that sustainability remains a structural shift. The work ahead is hard, but we’re moving with passionate and dedicated individuals across the globe and that keeps me optimistic!

Thank you very much for this interview, looking forward to having you at the event on 29 January!