Climate Change Committee (CCC) chief executive Chris Stark has stepped down after six years of advising the government on climate issues.
Stark will be leaving the CCC in April to join The Carbon Trust as chief executive officer. The watchdog’s director of analysis James Richardson will be stepping in while the CCC finds a new chief executive.
Stark wrote on LinkedIn that the role is “all-consuming” and he’s been “completely immersed every day of the last six years”.
“I’ve been particularly lucky to do this job in a period when we advised on more ambitious climate goals for the UK,” he continued. “Proud we could evidence the need for #NetZero and see it legislated.”
“There’s never really a good point to leave the CCC, but we’re now in an election year – and we’ve kicked off a new cycle of analysis that will conclude in 2026/27,” he added.
“This is the window for someone else to come in and help shape that programme – a fresh pair of eyes on the challenge,” he added.
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Energy security secretary Claire Coutinho said: “I want to thank Chris Stark for his work at the Climate Change Committee and I wish him all the best for the future.
“During his leadership, he has seen many advances – including becoming the first major economy to put our net zero commitments into law, with the UK becoming the first country in the G20 to halve its carbon emissions.”
