Dr Mark Jwaideh

Profile

Dr Mark Jwaideh is a member of the Global Finance & Economy Group at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, where he contributes to the Greening Finance for Nature workstream. Mark brings experience in developing innovative, location- and activity-specific tools and methodologies to address finance's critical environmental and social risks.

Before joining ECI, Mark spearheaded transformative initiatives at MSCI, guiding the organisation through the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and developing the methodology for its first geospatial biodiversity footprinting tool. This tool integrates multiple emission pathways and biodiversity indicators, enabling more robust environmental impact assessments. Additionally, he redesigned key exposure scores, such as Climate Change Vulnerability, and standardised MSCI’s ESG Exposure Methodology Scores, significantly improving transparency and regulatory compliance.

Mark earned his PhD in Global Food Production and Environmental Sustainability from the Institute for Sustainable Resources at University College London (UCL). His research focused on advancing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models for aquatic (freshwater and marine) biodiversity footprinting of crop commodities and developing geospatial composite indicators. His PhD culminated in the creation of PLANTdex, an innovative index assessing the multi-dimensional environmental impacts of crop commodities at sub-national scales. By reviewing over 1,000 methodology outcomes, his research underscored the importance of transparency, standardisation, and meaningful metrics in ESG ratings and scores. The study revealed previously unexplored geospatial nuances in assessing the multi-dimensional environmental impacts of crop commodities, and its findings are expected to be published in Nature Sustainability.

In addition to his work at ECI, Mark is a consultant in nature finance, assisting financial institutions, corporates, and ESG data providers in navigating complex frameworks such as TNFD and ESRS disclosures and developing meaningful ESG scores. He also contributes to flood risk management, collaborating with developers and local authorities to design and implement sustainable urban drainage systems and effective flood risk strategies. His expertise has facilitated collaborations with the UNEP FI-Led TNFD Piloting Programme, UNEP’s Global Guidance for Life Cycle Impact Assessment Indicators and Methods (GLAM), and the WHO Collaborative Centre (WHOCC) Imperial College.

Mark holds a Master’s degree in Hydrology & Water Resource Management from Imperial College London and a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Physical Geography from King’s College London.