Following a long career in Finance, as a CEO and now as a Non-Executive Director Liz brings strategy, leadership and sustainable thinking to the Commission. During her executive career she focussed on sustainable decision making and reporting of impact (using new and leading thinking) during her years at Yorkshire Water and chaired the Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability CFO Network. Following her executive career she has chaired the Insititue of Chartered Accountants’ Sustainability Committee. Liz remains heavily involved in the infrastructure sector and brings sustainable thinking to the companies she works with to support them in getting ready for the impact of climate change and supporting them, and the UK, in the transition to a low carbon economy. She is passionate about wildlife and the impact climate change is having on biodiversity in Yorkshire.
Claire was elected a Labour Councillor representing Heworth Ward on City of York Council in 2019, the area she has lived in for many years.
She became Deputy Leader of the council’s Main Opposition Labour Group in May 2021, Group Leader in May 2022, and the first female Leader of City of York Council in May 2023.
Claire is passionate about acting on the climate, one of her administration’s four key themes, including developing a Local Transport Plan that contributes to the city’s ambitious 2030 carbon reduction target.
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Jack Hemingway is Deputy Leader of Wakefield Council where he also holds cabinet responsibility for Climate Change and Green Spaces. First elected to the Council in 2012 as its youngest ever member, he has a keen interest in environmental policy. Since taking up the Climate brief in 2019 Jack has overseen the development of the authority's Climate Change Action Plan to achieve net zero by 2030 and is helping to lead the wider Wakefield district's response to the climate emergency.
Rosa Foster is Director of both the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission and the Leeds Climate Commission. Rosa has over 20 years’ experience of operational delivery leadership across a range of environmental disciplines for the Environment Agency. Rosa has been involved in the Commissions since their inceptions and formally became Director in May 2024. Rosa is passionate about climate adaptation, nature, people, equity, and collaborating to rapidly reduce carbon emissions.
Polly is Chief Officer of Sustainable Energy and Air Quality at Leeds City Council, leading their response to the climate emergency, declared in 2019. She’s helped secure millions of pounds in funding to retrofit housing and public sector buildings, and oversees the district heating network, which already supplies nearly 2000 flats across Leeds. She is also part of Leeds Climate Commission.
Ian is the Chief Operating Officer for City of York Council, responsible for the overall management of the council’s services. An Accountant by profession, he has been with the Council since 2008. City of York Council declared a Climate Emergency in March 2019, together with a target of becoming carbon neutral as a city by 2030.
Kate Josephs joined Sheffield City Council as Chief Executive in January 2021, having spent 20 years in national-government in the UK and United States. She joins Sheffield from a 6 month tour of duty as Director General in the Cabinet Office’s COVID 19 Taskforce. Kate held senior positions in HM Treasury, the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, and the Department for Education.
Adam has 20 years’ experience managing and transforming the performance of teams, equipment and assets, as well as business processes.
A Chartered Engineer, he is Head of Strategic Planning at Yorkshire Water, focussing on the climate, the transition to Net Zero, and the adaptation to a changing climate through the creation and implementation of the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.
Adam is a huge advocate of solving problems through innovation and the multiple benefits that come from working and learning together within partnerships.
Rachael brings 20 years of work experience across the public sector, in education, housing, waste management, environmental policy and service delivery to Yorkshire. Joining the Commission is an opportunity to give a voice to Yorkshire’s wildlife, to inform the substantial systemic changes needed to create a sustainable future which includes a just transition for our natural systems and all species. (Image credit: Yorkshire Post)
Simon is Friends of the Earth’s Regional Campaign Organiser in Yorkshire and the North East. He’s been campaigning for positive change on climate change and environmental challenges for over 30 years working at a local, regional, national and international level. He is passionate about supporting community groups to build their power to create change and creating the relationships within the region that maximise the opportunity for collaboration. When he’s not working, he’ll be seen cycling around the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.
Emma is the Chief Executive of Community Energy England (CEE), the national representative body for the community energy sector based in Sheffield. CEE’s vision is a thriving community energy sector integrated into and truly powering a fair, zero-carbon energy system. Emma sits on a number of European, national and regional advisory groups on energy, sustainable development and climate change.
Martyn has worked in housing throughout his 30+ year career - initially as an Environmental Health Officer focussing on housing standards, and latterly at Executive level in the social housing sector. Martyn brings extensive experience of housing retrofit and community regeneration to the Commission, and leads on sustainability and decarbonisation for his employer, leads the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership's action on the Climate Emergency, and represents that body on the WYCA Climate, Energy and Environment Committee. Martyn is passionate about the leading role the social housing sector can play in scaling up the decarbonisation of buildings, and how its residents and service users can really benefit from the opportunities that the just transition to a low carbon economy can deliver.
Peter is an environmental planner with over 20 years’ experience, working widely across both public and private sectors. Peter leads the decarbonisation team at Transport for the North, providing evidence, data and tools to local authorities across the North - helping them chart their own decarbonisation pathways. Peter’s passion is inclusive transport decarbonisation; making the most of the significant changes needed to our system to enhance people’s health, wellbeing and life opportunities in the North.
Sarah Clark is the Acting Director at the University of Hull’s Aura Innovation Centre, championing low-carbon innovation and SME growth. With nearly 30 years of experience in managing high-value public programs, and as a former small business owner, Sarah excels in fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. As a Commissioner of the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission since inception in 2021, she continues to drive impactful change in the Humber business community and beyond.
Saj is a senior manager developing and delivering Northern Gas Network’s whole energy strategy. She is experienced in creating and implementing whole systems and people centric energy decarbonisation strategies. Saj started her graduate career at Exxon Mobil and is a chartered chemical engineer (member of the IChemE). She is a keen advocate of women in engineering and leadership.
Roz is passionate about building green and resilient communities, places and organisations in the face of uncertainty and a challenging future. She has worked across the public, the third sector and social business at a leadership level at the intersection between social, health, economic and environmental development. Roz brings with her 30 years of tackling inequalities driving positive change through social innovations and partnership building.
Nigel Foster is an experienced director and strategic transport and planning consultant with more than 30 years' experience working on a range of diverse projects across the built environment, and has published works on transport policy, strategic investment plans, social regeneration and sustainability. Nigel is chair of the advisory board at the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds and was co-chair of the Leeds Inclusive Growth Partnership.
Andy Gouldson is Professor of Environmental Policy at the University of Leeds. He has prepared climate action plans for cities and regions across the world, all focusing on practical forms of climate action that also deliver on wider development priorities. He has helped to establish climate commissions to aid the delivery of ambitious, inclusive climate actions in cities and communities across the UK.
Robert is responsible for the interdisciplinary measurement and evaluation of ecological and social-economic systems across public and private markets at the International Business of Federated Hermes. Prior to joining Federated Hermes, Robert worked at the FCA, latterly as part of the intra-regulatory taskforce on TCFD implementation and systemic climate risk. Robert is a CFA author and the Chair of PCAF UK.
Oliver is the Chief Operating Officer for Natural England, having previously been the Area Director for Yorkshire at the Environment Agency. He brings a wide range of environmental leadership experience around nature and land management, floods and water, regulation and major incident management Across all of these agendas, he is passionate about how organisations can work together locally, regionally and nationally to knit climate and nature with wider agendas – to build greener growth and sustainability in ways that benefit everyone
Bruce is Plant Director at Drax Power Station responsible for all site activities at the world’s largest biomass power station and Europe’s largest single site renewable generator. Drax Power Station is located near Selby in North Yorkshire and is rated at 4GW consisting of 4 power units that have been converted to run on sustainable biomass and 2 coal units that close in September 2022. Since joining the business in November 2019, Bruce has been focussed on ensuring improving safety and aligning the cost base of the plant to ensure long term sustainability beyond the closure of the coal units.
Co-founder of EcoSikhUK, a CIC which takes a unified approach to engage social enterprises, community groups and connect with those actively involved in order to spur others into action. One area of focus for improving communication of key climate messages is with people from diverse, minority ethnic backgrounds. In addition, broader hardly reached lower socio economic groups who may feel disconnected from the topic. Members of Faith for the Climate, the Bradford Interfaith Trail, steering groups consisting of Universities, Utilities and national nature based community initiatives.
Jatinder possesses extensive multidisciplinary expertise encompassing climate change, sustainable development, and social sciences. His background spans the private and public sectors. Holding a doctorate that combines artificial intelligence with waste management practices in developing countries, complemented by three other degrees, he also brings over 40 years of experience in the community and voluntary sector on equality, diversity, inclusion, education, health, and religion. This experience drives his passion for amplifying diverse voices on the climate change agenda.
Natasha's career spans over 20 years in the banking sector, starting out as an accountant then treasurer, having previously worked in the investment bank on specialist solutions to global clients with transactions across a range of sectors, on products including carbon, equities, credit, rates, FX, hybrids and commodities.
Jonathan, a chemist by training, has worked across the energy and chemicals sectors in various roles, including renewable energy and fuels. He led a sustainable agrifood university consortium, before joining the World Energy Council, and thereafter leading the work to decarbonise Humber industry. At the CBI, Jonathan uses his communication, convening and collaboration skills to work with businesses to inform the net zero policy-making agenda for the UK, so that businesses can do good for people, place and planet.
Dr Peter O’Brien is the Executive Director of Yorkshire Universities. Peter has worked in local and regional development in the north of England for over 20 years, including holding senior positions with the North East LEP, Tyne and Wear City Region and North East Assembly. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, Newcastle University.
Alexis Percival is the Environmental and Sustainability Manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and works closely with the Humber Coast and Vale Integrated Care System. She works alongside of many healthcare, civic and third sector organisations across Yorkshire. She is passionate about decarbonising the region, raising awareness of climate change and working to build resilience in across Yorkshire.
Sam Perry is the Green Bargaining Officer for the Yorkshire and Humber Trade Union Congress. His work focuses on empowering workers to take an active role in planning the just decarbonisation of their places of employment; ensuring that the future economy of our region is green, fair, and democratic; and ensuring that workers’ interests are properly reflected in regional policy development. His especial passion, from a background in union activism and social housing delivery, is in making the case for massive growth of energy efficiency retrofits to homes across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Simon is a senior commercial strategy and sustainability expert with extensive board-level experience. An Associate Fellow of Chatham House, Simon is also Visiting Professor of Sustainability and Innovation at the University of Chester. Simon currently serves as a Leeds City Region LEP board member. Simon is Trustee of Solutions for the Planet, and co-founder of a Community Energy Charity.
Niki is convinced that by connecting the right people and thinking at a systems-level, anything is possible. In her roles as past President of CIWEM and host of the podcast Planet Possible, she spends her time looking for opportunities to connect people to solve some of our biggest challenges.
Her career and passion is focussed on water; as co-founder of Blue & Green Consulting she works within the UK water sector to implementing catchment scale nature-based solutions to deliver environmental improvement.
The Regional Youth Climate Assembly (RYCA) is a representative group of young people from across the Yorkshire & Humber region who provide a collective youth voice for young people within the climate discussion. RYCA encourages young people living in the Y&H region to take local, regional and national action, and to join the pool of discussion when it comes to young people’s present and futures.
Helen co-chairs the Commission’s Future Economy panel. She is Executive Director at Accounting for Sustainability (A4S), where her responsibilities include oversight of Knowledge and Learning activities. She was previously Head of Sustainable Business at Yorkshire Water. Helen is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), a Practitioner Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and an Accredited Social Return on Investment Practitioner.
After completing his Ph.D. Stuart spent nine years advising pharma, biotech and venture capital companies. This experience has provided a real-world context to his career teaching Chemistry in comprehensives and sixth form colleges. As Sustainability Lead, Stuart helps Greenhead College address its environmental impact, embed Climate Education and Green Skills and build partnerships. He is passionate about championing the role of schools in raising awareness of climate change and biodiversity decline and in preparing young people for a climate-changed future.
Alice has worked in financial services for 13 years, predominately in financial risk management roles with her current role involving supporting the decarbonisation of the UK’s housing stock. These roles have given her an insight to data, analytics, processes, and governance which will support the Commission to bring insight and control to the work they do. Alice is passionate about people and that people are treated fairly. In her role she sponsors many pieces of work aimed to help people succeed.
