Martijn Wilder reinvents approaches to environmental action
For Mosman local Martijn Wilder, being recognised with an Order of Australia was ‘a great honour.’ The climate lawyer turned founder and CEO was awarded for his service to environmental conservation, the renewable energy sector, sustainable finance, animal welfare and the law in the King’s Birthday Honours in June.
Although for Martijn, it was ‘a privilege to be recognised,’ it prompted him to reflect on the important work that countless others do.
“There’s a lot of people who do a lot of really critical things that don’t get honoured and also make a really significant contribution,” Martijn says.
When international climate and environmental law were only emerging fields, Martijn pursued a career in the space, ‘play(ing) a really formative role in the development of that law.’ After working as a climate lawyer for 25 years, which included developing legal regimes and working on international agreements including the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, Martijn recognised that, besides law, he ‘had other skills that could probably be (broadened).’
As a result, he established Pollination, a climate change advisory and investment firm working to create investable solutions related to climate change and accelerate the transition to net zero.
A further highlight for Martijn was being asked by the government to establish the National Reconstruction Fund (set up in 2023), which Martijn says was ‘about driving funding into rebuilding the value-added manufacturing industries in Australia, but with a very clear focus on decarbonisation.’
“Being asked to do that was a great privilege,” he says.
He also served two terms as president of World Wildlife Fund Australia, which raised over $51 million during the 2019/20 bushfires. “The fact that we raised this was one thing, but the fact that we got it out very fast was important,” he says.
Martijn remains optimistic about the future of climate policy in Australia, with part of Pollination’s mission focused on achieving net zero emissions.
“It will be hard. But you need to remember that Australia is almost at 50% renewables now. So that’s a pretty significant milestone,” says Martijn.
“As we get out of older type of energy, we will naturally move towards renewables, which is cheaper, cleaner and more efficient. So, it’s really about driving to continue to push this very hard. Having belief that we can get there is really important,” he says.
Outside of work, Martijn values spending time with friends and family, alongside staying active.
“The thing about a lot of team sports… is that you mix with other people. Having that social interaction is really important,” says Martijn.
“I love being outside, but I also love just learning and challenging myself.”
Martijn emphasises the importance of kindness and embracing different perspectives.
“Some of the most important lessons I’ve probably learned in my career is to try to be kind to people and try to really respect people,” he says.
“Everyone has a different view and you’ve just got to try to work together for a better outcome.”