Leila Pourarkin is Deputy Director for International Climate Finance at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the UK. She heads the International Climate Finance team responsible for building deep and lasting climate partnerships with countries, underpinned by a portfolio of technical assistance programmes aimed at building capacity for accelerated climate action (UK PACT, 2050 Calculator, NDC Partnership, and the Climate Finance Accelerator).

Prior to this, she held a range of leadership roles within the UK’s International Climate Finance and International Climate Negotiations teams. She led the BEIS International Private Climate Finance Portfolio, and before that was an EU climate negotiator in the run up to the Paris Agreement and headed the UK Delegation in the UNFCCC. Leila holds a Master of Public Administration, Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from ESCP Europe Business School.