Bill Adams is the regional secretary of the TUC in Yorkshire & the Humber. Bill established the Yorkshire and Humber Just transition taskforce in 2017, bringing together trade unions, academics, and employers to work together towards achieving a sustainable green industrial base based on highly skilled, well paid jobs leading to a green economic future where no one is left behind. Bill is also a Commissioner for the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.

Tracy Brabin is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who was elected as the first Mayor of West Yorkshire, and the first ever woman Metro Mayor in May 2021. She was the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen from 2016 until 2021. As MP, she held appointments as Shadow Early Years Minister, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries. Born in Batley, Tracy was an actor and television writer prior to entering politics.

Emma is Community Energy England's Chief Executive, having been instrumental in developing the organisation since its creation by a group of community energy practitioners in 2014. Community Energy England (CEE) provides a voice for the community energy sector representing over 270 organisations committed to putting people at the heart of the energy system. Emma also sits on a number of regional, national and european advisory groups related to energy, climate change and community action. These roles include chairing the UK COP26 community roundtable and sitting on the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission. Prior to CEE, Emma worked on sustainable development across the public, private and community sectors.

As Aura Operations Manager at the University of Hull, Sarah runs the Aura Innovation Centre, supporting the development of the low carbon SME supply chain, providing access to innovation support, enabling collaboration and knowledge exchange. Sarah is a project management professional and former business owner with over 25 years’ experience managing complex publicly funded programmes in support of businesses. She is also a Commissioner for Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.

Richard is the Leader of Harrogate Borough Council and has been a councillor for 21 years. Richard also serves as a North Yorkshire County Council councillor and a Vice-Chair for Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission. He is a vocal supporter of sustainable transport and carbon reduction measures. Richard is Chair of the Harrogate Convention Centre board and currently works in the office of Andrew Jones, MP. Previously, Richard worked for a national healthcare charity based in Yorkshire and has a background in communications and public relations.

Judith Cruickshank has worked with NatWest for 12 years in a variety of strategy roles, predominantly focused on customer solutions and was most recently Head of Retail Strategy & Innovation. She has recently been appointed as RMD Business Banking, Scotland and North England for NatWest. She is particularly passionate about helping personal and business customers prepare for the future through building financial capability and transitioning to a lower carbon world.

Sajalu is the Lead Analyst for the Humber Industrial Cluster Plan (HICP) project, which aims to illustrate how the UK’s largest emitting industrial cluster can reach net zero by 2040 - potentially making it the first industrial cluster in the world to do so. She is leading the technical delivery of the HICP project in collaboration with 8 private sector industrial partners. She’s previously served the local authority energy agenda as the Energy Project Manager for HEY LEP.
Sajalu is a degree qualified Chemical Engineer, and an associate member of the IChemE. She is involved in the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, and an active ambassador of STEM subjects.

Elizabeth has 15 years of experience at Business in the Community, working with hundreds of companies to make environmental sustainability part of the way they do business, offering bespoke expertise to organisations from multiple sectors, from family businesses to FTSE Top100 companies. Elizabeth has followed the development of climate action - providing an insight into what works, what the challenges are, and how SMEs can take the opportunity to build their business and work towards zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Piers Forster is Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate and Professor of Physical Climate Change at the University of Leeds. He researches the causes of climate change, climate impacts and mitigation strategies. He sits on the UK Government’s Climate Change Committee and has played leading roles authoring Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, including their 6th Assessment Report published in August.

Appointed as the Environment Agency’s lead on the climate emergency response for Yorkshire Area in November 2019, Rosa’s portfolio includes strategic business management for one of the largest operational Areas of the Environment Agency and delivery of our eMission 2030 sustainability strategy.

Rosa’s top three priorities are:
1) developing a carbon reduction & balancing plan to achieve Net Zero by 2030;
2) working with a wide range of partners across Yorkshire to improve our climate resilience to the changes that will occur as a result of carbon emissions made already and
3) embedding the principles of sustainability across the work of the Environment Agency in Yorkshire.

Over the last five years Rosa has sponsored the largest Natural Flood Management Programme in the country from concept inception to delivery.

Dan Jarvis has served as MP for Barnsley Central since 2011, and was elected as the first Mayor of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority in 2018. As Mayor, he declared a Climate Emergency in 2019, and in 2020 set out a target for reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040. He has made major investments in active travel and sustainable transport, and is developing plans for decarbonising bus services. He is a Vice-Chair for the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.

Mark heads up the Chamber’s business representation and policy activities advising local authorities, politicians, government departments and ministers on regional business issues and sentiment. He is responsible for the Chamber’s economic research function providing evidence and intelligence on issues including environment & sustainability, infrastructure investment, international trade, and education & skills. The Chamber represents firms who collectively employ around ¼ of the working population of our West & North Yorkshire

Andy has worked on a wide range of issues relating to environmental policy and management since 1990. Since 2008, his main focus has been on climate change and how to promote low carbon, climate resilient development, especially at the local or regional scales. Andy specialises in engaged, impact-oriented research, and throughout his career has worked closely with policy makers, regulators, development agencies, businesses, NGOs and communities both within the UK and internationally. 

Andy is also Professor of Environmental Policy at the University of Leeds and Chair of the Leeds Climate Commission. 

As co-founder of EcoSikhUK, Amandeep has seen the positive impacts of developing collaborative partnerships to bring environmental change, especially at a community level. She is now using this knowledge in her role as a commissioner for the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission. Her work promotes successes, provides support to replicate effective models and facilitates new project ideas. Amandeep studied International Business, Waste Management, Internal auditing and Environmental Management Systems and her previous work has been in financial and housing sectors.

As the SVP - Group Operations, Shelley manages the day-to-day functions of the aql group of companies using her guidance, supervision and leadership skills. Her role also involves the senior management of aql group company BlueWave, where she is Managing Director. Shelley successfully steered BlueWave’s growth to become a fully licensed telecommunications operator on the Isle of Man, regulated by the Isle of Man Communications Commission and Ofcom, along with gaining full GSMA member status. She is also a founding director of the Isle of Man’s only Internet Exchange, ManxIX.

With a strong background working in the telecoms industry in the United Kingdom before moving to the international blue chip, SES Satellites, Shelley spent time working across the continent in Luxembourg, The Netherlands, France and Spain.

Shelley is passionate about supporting the local community, she is a member of the Advisory Board for Career Ready Isle of Man, is a Junior Achievement Company Programme Mentor and sits on the Chamber of Commerce Digital Committee.

The purpose of the Betterworld.Solutions initiative is to encourage companies to adopt, publish and operate an Investment Policy to Prevent Global Warming.
Our businesses have opportunities to improve the environment and prevent global warming but we sometimes fail to identify them. Our suppliers, co-workers and customers can bring environmental sustainability initiatives to our attention, but only if we make listening to them a business priority.

Tom Rumboll is the CEO of SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest integrated salvage, dismantling and vehicle recycling company.
Tom joined as Executive Chairman in 2019 to manage the integration of SYNETIQ post a four-way business merger that he played a key part in executing. His role is to develop the people, systems, and structures to fulfil SYNETIQ’s ambitions to become an industry leading business that plays an unrivalled part in the circular economy.
Fourteen years’ experience in Corporate Banking developed Tom’s expertise in corporate finance, financial analysis, and risk management. With subsequent experience of building client and customer-focussed teams, proposition development, business reorganisation, internal and external communications and creating effective organisation structures.
Tom is passionate about sustainability and the key role it plays in driving the SYNETIQ business and the industry as a whole forward.

Wallace chairs the Harrogate District Public Services Leadership Board and is a member of the North Yorkshire Children’s Safeguarding Partnership Executive. He is lead local authority Chief Executive in Yorkshire and Humber for energy and low carbon and Senior Officer for Local Authority Coordination on the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission. Wallace is a Non-Executive Director for Harrogate District Foundation Trust Hospital and in 2020 was awarded an OBE for services to business and the community in Yorkshire.

Stuart’s involvement in Climate Education comes from teaching A-level Chemistry at Greenhead College and campaigning with Our Future Leeds (OFL). With OFL Schools he helped to develop a framework for schools’ response to the Climate Emergency, which encourages practical action by parents, governors, and staff.
Stuart’s sons, who are active in the YouthStrike4Climate and other environmental groups, regularly update me on young people’s views. He is also a Commissioner for Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.

Richard is an accomplished engineer with a seasoned technical background in mechanical engineering, and extensive experience in the private and public sectors delivering carbon reduction roadmaps for organisations of all types and scales.
Richard’s core skills comprise the identification and implementation of large-scale energy, water and carbon reduction projects, and has provided energy efficiency, cost and carbon reduction consultancy services to a variety of blue-chip clients across Europe.
Richard is the Net Zero Project Director for the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Bev Taylor is the Director of Environment at Bruntwood. Having headed up Bruntwood’s energy business for nine years, Bev has now transitioned her role to focus on environmental efforts as the business aims for long-term sustainable growth and begins its journey to becoming net zero carbon.

Mike heads E.ON’s UK district heating and generation businesses - delivering sustainable energy solutions. He has 30 years energy industry experience encompassing business development, construction and operations.