Brian O'Callaghan

Dr. Brian O’Callaghan is a globally-recognized leader in clean energy and infrastructure finance. With a blend of experience across both public and private sectors, he is a trusted advisor on green fiscal policy and infrastructure investment. Governments, international institutions, and major investors routinely rely on his guidance; he has supported more than 20 countries on infrastructure and economic resilience strategies.

Brian’s research and policy work have shaped global narratives and action. His publications—for example, Are We Building Back Better?, Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?, and How Stimulating Is a Green Stimulus?—have received global media attention and catalysed sustained new research in green infrastructure investment. At the University of Oxford, he led the team that launched the Global Recovery Observatory, which evolved into the Sustainable Budgeting Approach (SBA). The SBA is a tool developed in partnership with the UNEP and welcomed by institutions including the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. It is now being implemented in jurisdictions around the world.

He initiated the Sustainable Debt Coalition and the Climate and Communities Investment Coalition, and served as a lead author of UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report 2021. His work continues to inform cutting-edge policy and investment at the intersection of finance, green infrastructure, and artificial intelligence.

Brian received his DPhil (PhD) from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.
Contributed by the Green Fiscal Policy Network on 01/05/2025