Debra Tan

Head & Director, CWR

Tan heads CWR, a non-profit that aims to “mainstream” water and climate risks into financial decision-making and corporate strategies. She built CWR from an idea into a 'go-to' resource and a leader in the global climate water risk conversation; today, CWR works with government-related bodies, corporates and financial institutions. Reports Tan has curated and written have been considered ground-breaking and instrumental in understanding not just China's but future global water challenges – they are widely cited from the IPCC and IGOs to the financial sector and mainstream media. Published in China’s environmental policy journals as well as Springer Nature and Palgrave MacMillan books, Tan is also a contributing author to the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report: “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”.

As part of driving the global water conversation, Tan sits on various committees including those of CDP, CDSB (now IFRS), global corporates and is on the judging panel of the UNPRI awards. She is also a prolific speaker at water, investor & industry conferences as well as policy & academic forums. Before venturing into water, she spent over a decade in finance as a chartered accountant and investment banker. She spends her spare time exploring Himalayan glaciers.