Session Three

Chris Stark is the Chief Executive of the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the public body tasked by the Climate Change Act to be the independent authority on tackling climate change. Chris leads a team of analysts and specialists, offering expert insight into the challenges of reducing UK emissions and adapting to the changing climate.

Chris led the CCC’s work in 2019 to recommend a new ‘Net Zero’ target for the UK – now brought into law. He speaks regularly on the transition to a zero carbon economy and the need to confront climate change with urgency.

Chris has wide experience in government. He has designed economic policy in Whitehall, including in HM Treasury and the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He was previously Director of Energy and Climate Change in the Scottish Government, leading the development of the Scottish energy and climate strategies.

Angela Hepworth is Commercial Director for Innovation at Drax, where she is helping the company deliver its ambition to be the world’s first carbon negative power station and a major player in the energy transition. She is focusing on the development of bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) at the Drax Selby site, and delivery of carbon dioxide removal solutions for the UK and corporates. She has over 20 years’ experience of policy development and implementation, starting her career working at the heart of Government, advising Ministers on energy policy issues. In EDF, she led the development of plans to build a new nuclear power station at Sizewell, before taking up the role of Policy Director, providing strategic advice on the energy policy agenda, including retail and power generation issues. She is a Powerful Women Ambassador, with a real commitment to supporting other women in the energy industry.

Professor Maroto-Valer (FRSE, FIChemE, FRSC, FRSA, FEI) is leading the development of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC). She is also Associate Principal (Global Sustainability) and Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Wat University. RCCS is a world-leading centre delivering innovation for the wider deployment of energy systems required for meeting carbon targets, including carbon capture, conversion, transport and storage; emissions control, low carbon fuels and process/systems integration. She has over 520 publications, including editor of 4 books and ~25% of her publications are in top 10% most cited worldwide. She holds leading positions in professional societies and editorial boards and has received numerous international prizes and awards, including her recent 2020 WES Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) Sustainability, 2019 Scottish Women Award for services to science and technology, 2019 IET Transport Innovation Award and 2019 Honorary Doctorate - Delft Technical University.

Professor John Ludden CBE is the President of the International Union of the Geological Sciences (IUGS) and Bicentennial Research Professor at Heriot-Watt University, following 13 years as Executive Director of the British Geological Survey. Drawing on his extensive experience as an international leader in the earth and environment sector, this Professorship focusses on science governance and diplomacy, with a remit to develop links across disciplines and to strengthen communication with the public and policy makers. Working within the Lyell Centre and associated with the Institute for Geoenergy Engineering (IGE), John is also developing an energy testbed in Krafla, Iceland at the interface of molten rock within the earth’s crust. John has held numerous science leadership posts in the UK, France and Canada in the Earth and Environmental sector with a focus on resource development. He has worked as a professor and research scientist at the French National Research Centre (CNRS), where he was its associate director for Earth Sciences, at the University of Montreal, Columbia University and with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the USA