Daniel Hanna, Group Head of Sustainable & Transition Finance, Barclays
30 June 2025
The UK government recently published its long-awaited Industrial Strategy, setting out a coherent plan for the next decade. This long-term vision is a positive step and one that we have been consistently calling for at Barclays.
I am pleased that clean energy is called out in the Strategy as one of the growth-driving sectors that the government will throw its weight behind. It’s a vote of confidence in UK climate tech and recognition of the sector’s economic potential.
The Strategy acknowledges that high energy costs are a drag on the whole economy and includes some short-term steps to reduce energy costs for the most energy-intensive industries. It’s clear, however, that much more will need to be done to address the underlying causes of high energy prices and to bolster the resilience of our energy system.
The Strategy also envisages a greater role for public finance institutions, like the National Wealth Fund and Great British Energy, working in partnership with the private sector to unlock vital growth capital for climate tech and clean energy companies. We have seen firsthand at Barclays the power of these partnerships to catalyse new financing.
Listen to Daniel Hanna, Group Head of Sustainable and Transition Finance at Barclays, share his thoughts on the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
Realising the UK’s potential
The UK has all the right ingredients for climate capitalism: world-class science, deep capital pools and global influence. The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy is an important step for building on these to achieve the country’s potential. The key now will be execution.
About the author
Daniel Hanna is the Group Head of Sustainable & Transition Finance at Barclays. He is responsible for Barclays’ ambition to facilitate $1trn of Sustainable and Transition Financing by end of 2030 and supporting Barclays’ clients navigate the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to a low carbon economy. Daniel also helps set the strategic direction and execution of Barclays’ policies and practices across sustainability including climate, nature and human rights. Daniel is a member of the Group Sustainability Committee, the Investment Bank Management Team, and also the Barclays Climate Ventures Investment Committee, which is investing £500m in fast-growing, innovative and environmentally-focused early-stage technology companies by 2027.
Daniel has worked for over two decades with clients on advisory, financing and capital markets and has helped raise billions of dollars for sustainable infrastructure and social development. He has worked on many sustainable finance ‘firsts’ including the first sovereign blue bond and the first sustainable finance framework for a sovereign wealth fund. Daniel is a Board member of British International Investment, which has a portfolio of £7bn focused on development and climate and sits on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Advisory Panel. Daniel was part of the Expert Panel for the UK’s Transition Finance Market Review.
