Grace Rawnsley joined the Port of London Authority (PLA) in 2023 as the Director of Sustainability and Net Zero Transition. Her responsibilities include the PLA’s internal sustainability work on net zero and climate adaptation as well as externally focused work on water quality, air quality, biodiversity, decarbonisation and climate adaptation. She leads the organisation’s first externally focused net zero strategy aiming to decarbonise river-based activities on the Thames. She has also overseen the organisation’s first-of-its-kind approach to biodiversity net gain in the intertidal zone.  As well as kick starting the PLA’s partnership work on sewage discharges with the water industry. 
 
Grace is a sustainability professional who has a wide range of experiences across the environmental sector over the last 20 years. Prior to joining the PLA, Grace spent 13 years at the City of London Corporation in a variety of sustainability and transformation roles. She developed the City’s first Responsible Business Strategy as well as leading the organisation’s approach to community engagement on environmental issues. She also led the implementation of the City of London Corporation’s climate action work as their Climate Action Programme Director. Prior to the City of London Corporation, Grace worked for a variety of well-known conservation charities including the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.