At least 60 people have applied to head the Climate Change Committee (CCC), replacing outgoing chair Lord Deben, which the government will appoint in November.
Piers Forster is the interim chair of the CCC until the government appoints a new in head in November. Westminister is likely to choose someone with political experience, although the Guardian reports that a scientist or public administrator is possible.
Lord Deben told the Guardian: “You have to be somebody who understands how the political system works. Because you have to get the balance right as to when you really have to go in with both fists. You do also have to have a very fundamental respect for the science. And you have to be able to resist all pressures for mission creep, and to be fearless about telling the government and the opposition.”
For the first time, the Climate Change Committee could be headed by a woman, with at least two women prominent in the UK’s green policy circles thought to be possible choices.
Women thought to be in with a good chance of advancing to the next round include Emma Howard Boyd, former chair of The Environment Agency, and Laura Sandys, chair of the Green Alliance thinktank, who confirmed to the Guardian she had applied.
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Current and former Conservative MPs are out of the CCC race including:
- Former cabinet minister Amber Rudd – who helped to negotiate the 2015 Paris climate agreement – has not applied, a former cabinet minister, who helped to negotiate the Paris climate agreement in 2015 while energy minister, has not applied
- Former energy minister Claire O’Neill has not applied
- Former energy minister Chris Skidmore is understood to have applied but is thought unlikely to be considered as the government is unwilling to face more byelections.
- Former cabinet minister Alok Sharma is understood not to have applied but would have been a prime candidate.
What does being chair of the Climate Change Committee entail?
The chair of the CCC is a non-party political role and allows for vast criticism of the group. The chair must be agreed by first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which the Guardian argues the government is unlikely to be able to choose a highly partisan or deliberately under-powered candidate.
Lord Deben was previously a Tory environment secretary and minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major but has been vocal on the party’s stance on climate change.
