Prospect’s Sue Ferns appointed to government Net Zero Council
Sue Ferns, Prospect’s Senior Deputy General Secretary, has been appointed to the UK government’s Net Zero Council, which held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday, 5 February.
The Council, which is co-chaired by Ed Miliband MP, the Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is being established to advise the government on achieving Net Zero across the economy and how it will support thousands of skilled jobs .
The Net Zero Council will help to inform the government’s strategy for the acceleration of the UK’s decarbonisation through:
- Providing expert input;
- Helping to develop sector-led roadmaps and supporting organisations within each sector with their transition plans;
- Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to decarbonise
- Assisting with public engagement
Membership of the Net Zero Council has been drawn from across business, finance, civil society and local government.
Sue Ferns, who is also the TUC’s lead on climate and energy, will be able to represent the interests of Prospect’s membership, as well as give voice to a wider workers’ perspective on the transition towards Net Zero.
After the first meeting of the Net Zero Council, its co-chair Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband MP said:
“Businesses and leaders across our country recognise that clean power and accelerating towards net zero represents the economic opportunity of the 21st century.
“It is one which will protect bills, create jobs, and tackle the climate crisis. This Council is about mission-driven leadership, bringing government, business and civil society together to turn ambition into action”
He added:
“By working in partnership, we can drive the investment, innovation and industrial transformation needed to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
The Net Zero Council members are:
Co-chairs:
- Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State, DESNZ
- Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO, The Co-operative Group (industry co-chair)
Members
- Kerry McCarthy MP, Minister for Climate, DESNZ
- Alistair Phillips-Davies, CEO, SSE
- Beverley Cornaby, Director, Corporate Leaders Group UK
- Carl Ennis, CEO, Siemens
- Catherine Pettengell, Executive Director, Climate Action Network
- Chris Hulatt, Co-founder, Octopus Investments
- David Thomas, CEO, Barratt Redrow
- Fintan Slye, CEO, NESO
- Ian Simm, CEO, Impax Asset Management
- Ian Stuart, UK CEO, HSBC
- Jabeer Butt, CEO Race Equality Foundation, Everyone’s Environment Coalition
- Joanna Killian, CEO, Local Government Association
- John Scanlon, UK CEO, Suez
- Mark Versey, CEO, Aviva Investors
- Martin McTague, National Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
- Matt Hammerstein, UK CEO, Barclays
- Minnie Moll, CEO, Design Council
- Richard Watson, UK CEO, Nestle
- Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary, Prospect & Trades Union Congress
- Sue Pritchard, CEO, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission
- Tanya Steele, CEO WWF
More information: Net Zero Council
