Keeping it local: how the public and private sector can work together to tackle the climate emergency; Sponsored by Waterman Group

Waterman Group – Terri Wills, Consultant

Terri Wills is an independent climate change and social impact consultant supporting Waterman Infrastructure & Environment in the delivery of climate resilience support to public, private & infrastructure clients. She has worked extensively in climate change for the last decade, including as an analyst with the UK Climate Change Committee, the CEO of the World Green Building Council, and the first Director of Global Initiatives for C40 Cities. Befitting her deep experience within the field, Terri’s career has included impactful roles with the Ontario government in Canada where she provided policy advice, the Clinton Climate Initiative where she was City Director for London and the BBC where she was a Head of Strategy.

Waterman Group – Paul Moore, Regional Director

Paul Moore is Waterman’s Regional Director for London and Southern Counties focused on infrastructure and environment and has a wealth of experience in delivering sustainability-focused projects across the UK. Throughout his career, Paul has championed placing the natural environment at the heart of a diverse range of projects, including the Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration scheme (Thurrock), the Peters Village development (Wouldham, Kent), and he is currently delivering the Meridian Waters Strategic Infrastructure Works for London Borough of Enfield. Complimentary to the Engineering services that for the Meridian Waters deliverables, Waterman are providing wider Environmental services and CEEQUAL Assessor role to support the LBE Carbon reduction aspirations.

Quantum Strategy & Technology – Louise Marix Evans, Director

Louise has over 18 years’ experience of tackling climate change, working with public, private, community and university organisations.

She has worked with the CCC as a Senior Advisor during 2020, focusing on local delivery of the sixth carbon budget. Louise researched and wrote Local Authorities and the Sixth Carbon Budget Report, published alongside the Sixth Carbon Budget in December 2020. She is currently working on a project with UK100 to develop a Framework for Local Delivery of Net Zero.

Louise has worked with numerous local authorities, and supported Greater Manchester Combined Authority in its Green Summit 2018 engaging with over 4,000 citizens and organisations to develop a Green and Carbon Neutral plan for the city-region and is a member of the Five-Year Environment Plan Forum. She is currently supporting Greater Manchester Combined Authority in drafting the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, having run nine engagement workshops to identify outcomes and measures for nature recovery.

Other recent projects include Power Shift: Research into Local Authority powers relating to climate action for UK100 and Rural Net Zero: The role of rural local authorities in reaching Net Zero for UK100’s Countryside Climate Network.

Louise has also worked in the community energy sector, both as a director of local Community Benefit Societies and through supporting other groups. She founded a Repair Café in her village, bringing together skilled volunteers to help people reduce waste by repairing and re-using their possessions, and to eat cake, drink tea and chat together.

Derbyshire County Council – Chris Henning, Executive Director of Place

Derbyshire County Council have made great strides to reduce their carbon emissions over the last 2 years – tackling unnecessary waste, reducing emissions from our street lighting by 63% and overall emissions from their operations by 48% since 2010. They’re actively supporting new electric vehicle charging points across the county and introducing measures to reduce single-use plastics across the council. In May 2019, they published a series of carbon reduction pledges which took their commitments a step further and made a strong public statement and in November 2019, Cabinet members approved 2 new carbon reduction policies including plans to become carbon neutral by 2032. Chris will be well placed to discuss the council’s plans to reduce their carbon emissions as part of  their regeneration and development plans.

BCP Council – Roxanne King, Strategic Lead – Climate, Resource & Sustainability

Roxanne leads on the Climate and Ecological Emergency response for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.  She has worked in local government climate action for 10 years, working across services and projects to reduce carbon emissions and wider environmental impacts, whilst improving the Council and area’s resilience to extreme weather and climate change.  As a graduate of Bournemouth University’s MSc Green Economy and an active member of IEMA, Roxanne has built strong local and professional networks, developing knowledge and experience across a broad range of sustainability issues and interventions, particularly around planning, democratic process and low-carbon technologies.  Roxanne also oversees multimillion pound waste contracts, waste sites and commercial waste operations – connecting future strategies with infrastructure improvements, policy development and holistic behaviour change.  BCP holds CDP A-List status and is a fully compliant member of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – this has enabled the area to become a leader in climate disclosure and sustainable decision making, helping to attract external funding and sustainability accolades.