Professional services firm PwC has appointed Lynne Baber as its new Global Sustainability Leader, placing her at the helm of the firm's global sustainability strategy and its sustainability practice serving clients across its international network.

As reported by ESG Today, Baber succeeds Colm Kelly, who is retiring from PwC having served as Global Sustainability Leader since 2020. She brings more than two decades of experience at the firm, having joined PwC in 2003 and held a series of senior ESG and sustainability-focused roles, including leading PwC's UK Sustainability practice since 2022 and serving as Global Sustainability Deputy Leader since early 2025.

Baber said: "Sustainability is increasingly connected to strategy, risk, operations, technology, supply chains, capital allocation and trust. I'll be focused on supporting our clients as they navigate this evolving agenda, while also advancing PwC's own sustainability actions and commitments."

The appointment places Baber at the centre of one of the most consequential areas of professional services, as demand for sustainability advisory, assurance, and reporting support continues to accelerate across corporate and financial sectors globally. Regulatory developments including the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, the SEC's climate disclosure rules, and the International Sustainability Standards Board frameworks are driving significant demand for expert guidance on ESG integration, data management, and third-party assurance.

PwC operates across 151 countries and territories with more than 370,000 people, making its global sustainability practice one of the largest in the professional services industry. The firm advises clients across strategy, risk, operations, and transactions, with sustainability cutting across each of those service lines as ESG considerations become embedded in core business decision-making.

Baber's transition from UK Sustainability practice lead to global role reflects a broader pattern among major professional services firms of elevating sustainability leadership as a central strategic function rather than a specialist advisory unit operating at the periphery of the business.