The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has been given a new Chief Executive after it became known that Emma Pinchbeck, the current chief executive at Energy UK, has been appointed to this position. Independent, the body advises on climate change to the UK government. Emma Pinchbeck will be taking up her new role on 11 November as she has resigned from Energy UK. She will be leaving the organization next month.
The CCC, under the UK’s Climate Change Act 2008, has been commissioned to offer its government advice on emission targets and track progress towards climate goals. In that respect, Pinchbeck will play a vital role in the country’s planning as it makes important decisions about its net-zero strategy and responds to the increased threat of climate change.
Pinchbeck has extensive experience for her new role:. She is CEO of Energy UK since 2020, which means she represents over 100 companies in the energy sector working on initiatives within supply, generation, and innovation. She was previously Deputy CEO for Renewable UK – another leading trade association – and served as Head of Climate Change and Energy for WWF-UK. In addition, she has a background in finance and commercial consulting, which she applies to start-ups within the energy industry.
Her timing could not be more dramatic given growing pressure from the UK government to meet its climate commitments. Secretary of State for the Department of Net Zero and Energy Security Ed Miliband underscored the sense of urgency as “we are nearly halfway through the decisive decade to stop climate change” and pointed to Pinchbeck’s experience and preparedness in serving to advise and challenge the government on its climate goals.
As Chief Executive, Pinchbeck will manage key projects, which include the advice for the publication of the Seventh Carbon Budget in early 2025. It will be used as a basis for determining the allowance by the UK during the period between 2033 and 2038. She will also be responsible for the fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment, which is an independent review of the impact of climate change on the UK, scheduled for 2026.
Pinchbeck noted that she is fully committed to taking the UK’s climate agenda forward and was taking the opportunity of having a say over the country’s direction on emissions reduction with “incredibly seriousness”. She also reiterated that CCC was still in an active role as a guiding light for the transformation of the low-carbon economy that is beneficial both to the people and to the economy.