Martin Valenti Keynote Speaker

Serial Entrepreneur & Positive Disruptor
Thought leader on Climate Enterprise & Sustainable Growth
Director of Investment & Sustainable Enterprise South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE)

Martin Valenti's Biography

Martin Valenti is an award winning motivational speaker on the topics of Climate Change, Natural Capital, Energy transition, Net Zero Economy and business sustainability. Martin has extensive experience in strategic business transformation with over 40 years working in a variety of senior leadership roles. Martin has extensive experience in shaping inclusive growth initiatives that have brought about policy shifts from Government to enable greater success to tackling some of the most recalcitrant economic challenges of our time. He successfully delivered numerous high profile policy and initiatives for the Scottish Government on key areas such as climate change, contaminated land and business engagement.

His expertise is often called on to mobilise productive partnerships to help Government engage and work better with businesses to address some of the biggest economic challenges turning them into economic opportunities. Martin played an instrumental role in setting up Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, a group of senior CEO;s from around 30 of Scotland’s most influential businesses to build a fellowship of the willing to tackle climate change from a business perspective. In 2009, the 2020 Group influenced the Scottish Government to increase its interim targets to 42% by 2020 at the Conference of Parties in Copenhagen (COP 15) to see if Scotland could help shift the global dial on ambition. The Scottish Government accepted this challenge and in the preceding decade 2009 to 2019 Scotland cut its emissions and grew its economy faster than any country in the G20.

Martin also co-created the multi-award winning 2050 Young Leaders Climate Group who speak at COP’s on behalf of Scotland’s young business leaders. Martin has extensive experience working with the highest levels of business and governments to develop industry focused initiatives. He is a trusted adviser who builds credibility quickly, excels in creating consensus among divergent groups, and communicates at all levels to transform challenges into opportunities.

Climate Change Crisis to Economic Renaissance

Net Zero Solutions, Sustainability Leadership

From Climate Emergency to Economic Opportunity

Net Zero by 2045 A Mission Possible

He is an award-winning authority on climate change, natural capital and the net zero economy, drawing on four decades of senior leadership to help organisations turn sustainability ambition into business transformation.
He brings rare credibility at the intersection of government and business, having delivered high-profile Scottish Government initiatives on climate change, contaminated land and business engagement that shaped policy and practice.
He mobilises productive partnerships between executives and policymakers, translating complex climate and economic challenges into investable opportunities and actionable pathways for growth.
He played a pivotal role in establishing Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, convening senior CEOs across major businesses to influence government targets and accelerate real-world emissions reduction.
He equips leaders to build consensus, strengthen stakeholder alignment and communicate with confidence, helping organisations move from net zero commitments to measurable impact.