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Our staff and trustees are passionate about climate action. See how they’re helping create a low- carbon future.
Ashok, previously CEO of London Cycling Campaign, joins Ashden with a wealth of experience in environmental, sustainable development and justice issues in the UK and the Global South.
After a PhD in renewable energy, a stint as a climate modeller and time as a policy analysis with Forum for the Future, Ashok moved into advocacy – serving on the Board of Amnesty International, helping to found and lead Make Poverty History and becoming the first Director of the Climate Coalition. Ashok is currently also the Chair of the London Sustainable Development Commission, an independent, unpaid body that advises the London Mayor.
Ed leads on building the funding partnerships Ashden needs to deliver its mission and create impact. Success for him is much more than what the balance sheet looks like; it’s about a long-term relationship with the individuals and organisations that share Ashden's purpose.
Jo has been at Ashden since 2005 and is responsible for our communications. She is also a member of the Executive Management team with particular responsibility for HR. In her time at Ashden she has overseen the smooth delivery of 15 Ashden Awards ceremonies with speakers including former US Vice President Al Gore, Sir David Attenborough and Ashden’s Patron HRH The Prince of Wales.
She is a keen gardener, dog walker and reader and trying to be a better piano player.
Michelle joined Ashden in 2023, bringing extensive expertise in finance from across diverse sectors including manufacturing, retail, and the charity sector. A qualified Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA), Michelle honed her financial acumen over many years in the manufacturing and retail industries before shifting her focus to the charity sector, driven by a passion for using her skills to make a positive environmental impact.
With over 20 years of experience working within environmental charities, Michelle has developed a reputation for creative problem-solving. She thrives on collaboration, working across teams to translate ideas into action and drive positive change. Her strong communication skills, combined with her ability to strengthen decision-making processes, enable her to guide organisations toward sustainable financial practices. She is particularly adept at empowering others, fostering self-service solutions, and ensuring that financial strategies align with broader organisational goals.
Jo has been at Ashden since 2005 and is responsible for our communications. She is also a member of the Executive Management team with particular responsibility for HR. In her time at Ashden she has overseen the smooth delivery of 15 Ashden Awards ceremonies with speakers including former US Vice President Al Gore, Sir David Attenborough and Ashden’s Patron HRH The Prince of Wales.
She is a keen gardener, dog walker and reader and trying to be a better piano player.
Craig leads the communications team sharing inspiring stories of climate action. He also makes sure Ashden's voice is powerful and passionate. As well as thinking about the climate stories we want to tell, he writes and edits articles, pieces, reports, video scripts and more.
Sam looks after our online presence, making sure our website, email and social media are demonstrating the true impact of Ashden, our partners and our amazing winners work.
Jon creates all of our wonderful films demonstrating our winners impact and missions. He also takes photos of project work.
Lindsay liaises with numerous stakeholders to coordinate the delivery of the Ashden Awards.
Prior to joining Ashden, she galvanised governments and corporations to fund youth-led climate solutions and conducted meaningful research to inspire the next generation of energy leaders. She holds an MSc in International Migration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics, where her dissertation centred on climate-induced displacement.
Tara coordinates communications for the Let's Go Zero campaign. She is passionate about telling stories that will inspire schools to hear more about our work and join the movement. Before joining Ashden, she graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in History and Politics, and went on to work in roles aligned with her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. She continues to bring this focus to her work at Ashden through her contributions to our DEI workstreams.
Ed leads on building the funding partnerships Ashden needs to deliver its mission and create impact. Success for him is much more than what the balance sheet looks like; it’s about a long-term relationship with the individuals and organisations that share Ashden's purpose.
Lucy is responsible for the stewardship of Ashden’s corporate partners and fostering new relationships, both in the UK and internationally. At its heart this means the development of partnerships that are mutually beneficial and based on a shared commitment to sustainability.
Catherine works alongside the Director of Business Development to ensure Ashden has the financial resources to pursue its mission. This involves fostering relationships with government and philanthropic funders and developing grant funding proposals.
Prior to joining Ashden she held fundraising positions at ActionAid UK, British Red Cross and Frontline AIDS. When not working, she can often be found walking on the South Downs.
Krissy works within Ashden’s fundraising team. She manages fundraising systems, organises fundraising-related events, and researches prospective partnerships. She is also responsible for the stewardship of Ashden’s individual giving programme.
Before joining Ashden Krissy worked in marketing. She is currently studying part-time for a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex.
Cara is interim head of the Cities team focusing on our UK strategic objectives of zero carbon local electricity, accelerating building retrofit and nature-rich, climate resilient communities. She has been at Ashden since 2017, leading many of our Award themes with a particular focus on homes decarbonisation and green skills. As head of the Cities team, she is responsible for a wide range of programme work across local climate action, usually delivered in partnership with other organisations.
She has an MSc in the Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment from UCL and is a director of a community energy organisation in North London.
Matthew supports Ashden's UK awards work by carrying out research into new award themes, such as Citizen Engagement and Green Skills. This includes investigating both sectors to better understand how the Ashden Awards can have the greatest impact, whilst beginning new conversations with potential applicants for the awards. He also supports the Cities programme through providing research for our range of publications and events.
Johannes Moeller - Energy Learning Network Lead
Johannes Moeller leads the Energy Learning Network, which is powering forward community energy projects across the UK – helping more groups launch or grow schemes that decarbonise the grid, build resilience, cut energy bills, and deliver meaningful benefits for local people.
The network shares learning and fosters collaboration between communities taking action on energy, as well as between the organisations that support them nationwide. It is a partnership between Ashden, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, and leading community energy bodies in every UK nation: Community Energy England, Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy Wales, and Northern Ireland’s Action Renewables.
Johannes has worked for over 15 years in community-led change and climate action, leading grassroots initiatives, building cross-sector partnerships, and working with national infrastructure organisations to accelerate the transition to a fair, low-carbon future
Frieda works alongside Matthew, Cara and Emma Jones in the Cities Team. She is based in Nottingham, where she was born and raised, having also recently graduated from the University of Nottingham. She investigates inspiring local and grassroots examples of innovative climate solutions across the UK.
Oluwafemi works as a Junior Programme Officer in the Cities Team, supporting work to accelerate local clean energy, retrofit, and climate resilience.
He brings experience in carbon accounting, sustainability research, and community climate action, with a strong focus on helping local authorities and grassroots groups drive practical climate solutions. He has a Masters Degree in Sustainable Engineering Systems from Teesside University and is based in Sunderland Area.
Before moving into the sustainability space, Oluwafemi worked in the oil and gas industry, a journey that deepened his commitment to advancing low-carbon transitions and just energy systems. He has contributed to projects on greenhouse gas emissions measurement, climate adaptation, and stakeholder engagement, with a passion for making climate action inclusive and impactful.
Beyond work, he enjoys mentoring young people and is active in faith-based community initiatives that inspire environmental stewardship and social resilience.
Isona leads Ashden’s international programmes team. She has a background in sustainability and the built environment and has designed and delivered projects in East Anglia and the Niger Delta, as well as working remotely on projects in South Asia and the Carribean. Core to her work has been a focus on vernacular techniques and materials, and the value of locally-rooted design approaches.
More recently, Isona has worked on a variety of programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, including financing for energy access; youth enterprise development and employability; and circular economy in textile and food value chains.
Dawn helps run Ashden’s International Awards, searching for the most game changing solutions globally and collaborating with thought leaders so that we can deliver the most exciting and impactful awards possible. She is constantly thinking about how Ashden can keep creating opportunities for innovators to tell their stories, reach new audiences and get the support they need to thrive.
Before Ashden, Dawn worked on UK government international climate and energy programmes.
Outside of work, she loves adventure travel, always planning the next surf, ski or mountain climbing challenge. She also loves painting and salsa dancing.
Anthony is a renewable energy practitioner with over 15 years of experience in Clean Energy Solutions, Project Management, and Enabling Environment interventions. He specializes in providing technical support to Clean Energy Enterprises, Policy & Regulatory Framework Enhancement, Capacity Building & Training, Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy , Quality Assurance & Compliance, Carbon Project Development & Management, and consultancy and advisory services. He holds an MSc in Agricultural Engineering and has worked with organizations such as GIZ, Biogas Solutions Uganda, UNDP, and Heifer International.
Anthony is passionate about promoting clean cooking technologies that not only help fight climate change but also improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups and households in Sub-Sharan Africa. In their free time, he enjoys mountain hiking, barbecuing, watching rugby, and exploring new places.
Brian Omenyi is a climate change and energy specialist with a focus on policy advocacy, capacity building and community engagement. He is the Coordinator of Power Up, a campaign that is focused on promoting productive uses of renewable energy and access to clean cooking in Kenya. Before joining Ashden, Brian was working with the Sustainable Energy Access Forum Kenya (SEAFK) as the Coordinator.
He is a passionate environmentalist and has engaged different target groups such as the youth to enhance their inclusivity in decision making processes and in conservsation. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Climate Change and Sustainability. When not busy with Power Up work, Brian loves adventure travels, reading books, watching football and spending time with family and friends.
Emily leads investor engagement for Ashden’s international programmes, connecting high-potential climate enterprises with catalytic and impact capital. She works across sub-Saharan Africa to help early-stage clean energy businesses strengthen their investment case and align with investor risk and return expectations.
With a background in climate policy and sustainable finance, Emily has worked with governments, foundations and global coalitions to advance economic reform aligned with climate and nature goals. As a co-founder of a circular economy start-up, she brings first-hand experience of raising capital and building a mission-driven enterprise.
Sheilla is a seasoned Community Development professional with over 10 years of experience leading humanitarian, development, and clean energy projects across Uganda. She has delivered impactful results with organizations such as Cohere, L-IFT, YICE Uganda, and Village Power Solar Solutions.
Sheilla has also supported the growth and capacity strengthening of numerous Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) in Nakivale, Kyaka II, and Rwamwanja Refugee Settlements. Her expertise spans mentoring grassroots organizations, monitoring and evaluation, and fostering meaningful stakeholder engagement.
With lived experience of displacement, Sheilla offers a unique perspective and deep understanding of refugee dynamics in Uganda. She is strongly driven to advance environmental sustainability and livelihood opportunities for displaced communities.
Sheilla holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation, and a Diploma in Project Management.
Abdirashid Warsame is a Project Support Consultant with Ashden under the THEA Programme. He supports refugee-led clean energy enterprises by monitoring project implementation, facilitating communication between grantees and Ashden, and ensuring timely reporting and accountability. Based in Kakuma, he conducts field visits, tracks progress and strengthens local engagement and compliance to advance sustainable energy access in displacement settings.
Abdirashid brings nine years of experience working at the intersection of displacement, livelihoods, and economic inclusion. He previously served as a Project Assistant with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) under the DREEM Project’s Strengthening Economic Opportunities for Refugees (SEOR) component, where he supported refugee- and host-led enterprises in Kakuma and Kalobeyei. He has also contributed to research and data collection efforts with the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre, the Danish Refugee Council, and WUSC, supporting evidence-based programming in displacement contexts.
With a background in Finance and Banking Abdirashid obtained his bachelor's degree from Moi University School of Business and Economics, he is passionate about inclusive development, refugee self-reliance, and sustainable solutions that expand opportunities for displaced communities. Drawing from both professional experience and lived experience in Kakuma refugee camp, he is committed to advancing practical, community-driven approaches to development and humanitarian policy.
Ariku Emmanuel is a seasoned humanitarian and development practitioner with over a decade of experience in resilient livelihoods, specializing in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development and access to finance across Uganda. He holds an MBA from Makerere University and applies inclusive, market-oriented approaches to enterprise and livelihood programming, particularly in resource-limited and humanitarian settings.
At Ashden, Emmanuel supports Refugee-Led Organizations and entrepreneurs through the THEA programme, helping expand access to clean energy and foster inclusive economic growth. His collaborative style bridges strategy and implementation, creating meaningful opportunities for communities and local businesses.
Juliana Lanyero is a Project Support Consultant for the Transforming Humanitarian Energy Access (THEA) programme in Uganda. She coordinates field implementation and provides technical and operational support to refugee-led clean energy enterprises, strengthening their business capacity, market positioning, and sustainability. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and a Master’s in Energy Economics and Governance, grounding her work in both enterprise development and energy policy analysis. Juliana is deeply committed to advancing inclusive, locally driven solutions for underserved communities. She brings a balanced blend of strategic insight, field experience, and professionalism to the THEA programme, guided by the conviction that with the right enabling environment, vulnerable communities design and scale the most context-responsive and sustainable solutions.
Ahmednur Farah is a seasoned expert in renewable energy access and community development with over 11 years of experience. He specializes in project management, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and advocating for sustainable energy solutions in vulnerable communities. Having worked with organizations like Action Against Hunger, International Rescue Committee, and Inkomoko, Ahmednur has successfully led initiatives in solar energy and clean cooking technologies for refugee and host populations.
As a Ph.D. candidate in Social Policy and holder of a Master’s in Sociology, Ahmednur combines technical expertise with a passion for empowering communities. He values diversity and inclusion, mentoring young professionals, and exploring innovative approaches to improve humanitarian energy access.
Worldwide, 120 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. 94% of those living in refugee camps and settlements have no meaningful access to electricity, and 81% rely on firewood or charcoal for cooking – which puts their health at risk.
With access to clean, affordable energy, refugees can raise their incomes and enjoy a better quality of life. But in order to succeed, solutions must be sustainable, tailored to individual communities, and create the full range of possible benefits – such as new jobs and skills for local people. For this reason, it’s vital to increase support for solutions led by displaced people themselves.
Our unrestricted development grants, technical assistance and strategic communications support are all geared to making recipients a more attractive and secure investment prospect.
Alex Green is the Head of Let’s Go Zero at Ashden, a leading climate solutions charity based in London. She spearheads the Let’s Go Zero 2030 campaign, which empowers UK schools to collaborate towards achieving zero carbon goals. As the leader of the national Let’s Go Zero Climate Advisors network, Alex also plays a key role on the Department for Education’s User Group for the Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy. Previously, she managed Ashden’s prestigious Sustainable School Awards and led the peer-to-peer LESS CO2 programme. With a Master’s in Environmental Management from the University of Cape Town, Alex’s career has included running an environmental business awards scheme for a local authority, helping small businesses reduce carbon emissions, and working in regulatory roles at the Environment Agency.
Suzy joined Ashden in 2008 and manages the Let’s Go Zero sign up process, liaising with participating schools. She is responsible for supporting programme management processes as part of the engagement team and be the lead on managing the LGZ database. She also works closely with our team of Climate Action Advisors.
Suzanne is part of the team leading Ashden's schools' campaign, Let's Go Zero 2030, a campaign that supports UK schools working together to be zero carbon by 2030. She helps to build the movement of change by engaging with local authorities and organisations. She also speaks with schools directly, collecting inspirational stories that have made strides on their path to zero carbon.
Suzanne has a Masters in Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy from Kings College University. She has previously worked for an environmental charity with a focus on community engagement, environmental education, and green space consultation.
Alison is part of the Let’s Go Zero team, helping schools on their journey to zero carbon. She works on the OVO Foundation Nature Prize, which awards schools for creative nature projects that inspire climate action and bring students closer to nature.
After teaching for nearly a decade, Alison is excited to focus on helping schools lower their environmental impact and become more sustainable. She is currently in the last year of a master’s degree in Sustainability and Behaviour Change at the Centre for Alternative Technology.
Lucy is the Project Manager for the Climate Action Advisors programme within Let’s Go Zero, supporting schools on their journey to zero carbon. She manages a team of Climate Action Advisors who support school leaders, local authorities and others to carry out projects that reduce emissions, inspire young people and spark change in the wider community.
Lucy has worked in and with schools for the past 10 years, as a teacher, environmental educator, and youth development manager, encouraging young people to care about the environment and take action to address the climate crisis. She is a trained geography teacher and has a Masters in International Development.
Alex is part of the team involved with Ashden's schools' campaign, Let's Go Zero 2030, a campaign that supports UK schools working together to be zero carbon by 2030. He helps to provide the most appropriate and effective guidance to our team of Climate Action Advisors by engaging with best practice and sharing examples of successful decarbonisation schemes more widely to inspire progress. He also speaks with wider partners directly, ensuring that the most up to date routes to zero carbon are shared widely and are accessible for all.
Alex has worked within schools for the past 15 years, both abroad and in the UK. He has been a teacher, environmental lead and senior leader, inspiring the next generation to take climate action and prioritise environmental stewardship in their futures. He is a trained geography teacher and has a bachelor’s degree in Geography with Chinese Studies.
Max is a member of the Let's Go Zero team, supporting schools to reach zero carbon by 2030. He coordinates the Zero Carbon Fund which funds established programmes and projects who are helping schools in the UK to decarbonise.
Friederike is the Project Manager for the Climate Action Advisors programme within Let’s Go Zero, supporting schools on their journey to zero carbon. She manages a team of Climate Action Advisors who support school leaders, local authorities and others to carry out projects that reduce emissions, inspire young people and spark change in the wider community.
With over a decade of experience in the UK’s environment sector, Friederike has worked across climate and energy policy, engaged political stakeholders and built coalitions across the political, business, and not-for-profit sectors to drive meaningful change. She is a highly experienced programme manager, organisational development strategist, and mentor. Frieda is also a Forest School Leader and voluntary Director with She is Sustainable, and is always interested in creative and intersectional approaches to advancing local and national climate action.
Salomé supports the coordination and impact tracking of the Climate Action Advisor programme. With a background in human geography, social research, and education, she is passionate about climate justice and supporting schools on their sustainability journey.
Jo is a Climate Action Advisor for the East and West Midlands working within the Let’s Go Zero campaign supporting schools, nurseries and colleges on their journey to zero carbon. Her work includes supporting school leaders, local authorities and others to carry out projects that reduce emissions, inspire young people and spark change in the wider community.
Before joining Ashden, Jo spent 15 years working in schools, in roles ranging from TA, Teacher, Assistant Head and Trust-wide Sustainability Project Coordinator.
Jelly is a Climate Action Advisor for the Midlands region working within Let's Go Zero, a campaign that supports UK schools working together to be zero carbon by 2030. She works with school leaders, local authorities and others to carry out projects that reduce emissions, inspire young people and spark change in the wider community.
Jelly has worked in the third sector for over a decade in housing research, programme management and sustainability management roles. She is also a member of the Council at a parent climate movement supporting parents to take climate action and build resilience within their communities.
Sarah is part of Let’s Go Zero’s team of Climate Action Advisors for the East and West Midlands, helping schools become zero carbon by 2030. She provides guidance and support to school communities, connecting them with the information and resources they need to succeed in lowering their carbon footprint.
Prior to joining Ashden, Sarah spent 12 years teaching in schools in the UK and US and has extensive experience coordinating school sustainability initiatives around energy, waste and active travel. She led a municipal sustainability group working to find effective ways to decarbonize homes and the community through events such as movie/speaker nights and an annual Green Fair. She secured major funding for a transformative Education for Sustainability summer training program for teachers and has researched behavioural change in relation to climate during her time as an educational TV producer.
Rosie is part of the Let’s Go Zero team working as a Climate Action Advisor in the Midlands. She will be working to advise and support schools to decarbonise and build a better educational environment for the future.
Previously Rosie has been a Science Teacher in the UK and abroad for 5 years and has developed environmental clubs in both these schools. She has developed her understanding of education through her Master's in Education and Leadership from Exeter University.
Kumari has specialised in mental health for children and as a health visitor for 18 years. Working in the community has given her an understanding of the inequality in schools and the importance of making a difference.
Catherine is the Team leader for South East and South West. She has worked with schools for 20 years, supporting them to explore global issues in ways that can really engage young people and amplify their voices to make positive change happen.
Libby has lived in Southampton for over 20 years. She has loved working with the super enthusiastic ‘Planet Protectors’ at her last school, where she was a primary music teacher. Libby even goes grocery shopping on her bike, and has been known to carry a watermelon back in the basket.
Mel has a degree in Wildlife Conservation and enjoys volunteering in the UK and abroad in animal rescue centres, planting trees, carrying out surveys, and tracking animals. She previously worked for a local authority on a range of environmental projects and campaigns.
Will has worked in education for 19 years, most recently as a headteacher of two schools in Somerset. He has a great understanding of the challenges that school leaders are under and has these in mind when supporting schools. Will uses an electric bike, electric car, solar PV array and battery at home, with an intention to become carbon neutral.
Jen’s ‘ecopiphany’ came when she decided her family would buy nothing new for a year back in 2012. This opened her eyes to the issues facing the planet and how our own consumption decisions can make a difference. She created an online platform called ‘Sustainable(ish)’ which is focussed on imperfect eco-action for ordinary.
Paula has been a primary school teacher and worked with Energy Sparks. She’s a trustee of Wicked Weather Watch, a charity focused on inspiring children to take climate action. She’s passionate about empowering children to take positive action.
Katherine is passionate about the environment, education and the intersection between the two. With an MSc in Global Environment, Politics and Society and several years working in the education sector, Katherine is excited to use her knowledge and skills to support to schools on their sustainability journey.
Chanodi has a master's in Urban climate and Sustainability, and a background in Architecture. She previously worked with schools raising awareness and inspiring positive change in sustainable transportation.
Prior to joining the team, Felicity was engaged in more than a decade of work on environmental and social sustainability in Higher Education. She specialised in peer-to-peer engagement and gamification of climate education and action, drawing on her background in behavioural psychology and youth work.
Oci says this is her dream job because it combines her experience in urban planning and sustainability and her previous role as a secondary school teacher, teaching in London for 13 years.
William has a Masters in Urban and Environmental Management so is skilled in creating sustainable and resilient solutions to different urban and environmental challenges. He taught for a year and has worked in the water and sanitation sector for three years. He’s excited about teaching the future generation to be “climate smart”.
Anna was the Green Co-ordinator at the Harris Federation, an education charity led and run by teachers. She’s on the steering committee of Croydon Climate Action, installing air monitors at schools and planting trees in nature-deprived areas. Her passion is inspiring climate action through story telling.
Holly has an MSc in Sustainable Urbanism, and worked at the UK Green Building Council as a Sustainability Learning and Leadership Advisor. For that role she developed educational resources, tools, guidance and courses on sustainability for professionals in the built environment and construction industry.
Hannah is the team leader for London and the East of England. She is deeply committed to inspiring everyone to do their part in living sustainably within the limits of our planet's resources.
Luciana worked with primary schools in Essex getting school children to lead on energy saving. She has extensive carbon reduction experience with local authorities and has led a collective purchasing scheme for solar panels.
Jeremy has been writing articles and books about climate change and how we respond to it for over a decade.
Nige’ has a wealth of climate action experience working with schools & communities. This includes delivering energy saving programmes in schools & managing community climate action programmes for local authorities.
Aisyah is the team leader for the North West of England. Her background is in environmental consulting, where she was responsible for managing multi-disciplinary teams to deliver environmental impact assessments.
Aurora has a PhD in Environmental Politics. She has been part of a variety of grassroots climate action campaigns, with a specific focus on the promotion of cycling.
Danielle’s background includes teaching and leading in inner-city Primary Schools and, more recently, Project Management of retrofit projects for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Tom was a chemistry teacher and head of department in secondary schools for ten years. He has a PhD in Civil Engineering materials, having researched alternative binders for masonry with a lower carbon footprint.
Rob is the team leader for North East & Yorkshire and Humber. He has worked as a Geography teacher for 10 years and has been a senior leader in Doncaster and across a Multi-Academy Trust.
Matt has previously worked as an A-level geography and geology teacher. Matt has also been a senior tutor for the field studies council and a Community Scientist for the Open-Air laboratories project.
Richard spent 20 years working as an energy efficiency specialist and environmental manager for a worldwide IT and Facilities management corporation.
Katherine was recently a senior leader across a Multi-Academy Trust, including leadership of primary and secondary teacher training. She is an inspector for Church of England schools and a Diocesan school development adviser. Previous roles have included Head of Geography and Geography teaching. She volunteered as a Trustee for three Multi-Academy Trusts.
Georgia provides administrative support to the Executive Management Team here at Ashden. Coordinating high level meetings and managing complex diaries to optimise the efficiency of the team.
Will is a local and community energy specialist with 15 years' experience in a range of a policy and delivery roles, including central government where he was brought in to lead the development of the UK’s first Community Energy Strategy.
In his last role he worked on the UK’s largest transfer of solar farms into community ownership, boosting the sector by 20% and forecast to deliver £20 million of community benefit funding. He holds a Masters in Environmental Strategy and is a voluntary director of Brixton Energy Solar Co-operative.
Dan helps Ashden to ask and answer questions like, What difference are we making in the world? How can we tell? How can we strengthen our approach? He aims to embed curiosity, evidence and learning in our programme delivery and strategic thinking.
He has led impact, knowledge and learning work in several NGOs, with experience in climate action, active travel, global health and organisational development.
He is passionate about tackling the climate emergency.
Will is a local and community energy specialist with 15 years' experience in a range of a policy and delivery roles, including central government where he was brought in to lead the development of the UK’s first Community Energy Strategy. In his last role he worked on the UK’s largest transfer of solar farms into community ownership, boosting the sector by 20% and forecast to deliver £20 million of community benefit funding. He holds a Master’s in Environmental Strategy and is a voluntary director of Brixton Energy Solar Co-operative.
Sarah Butler-Sloss is best known for founding Ashden - Climate Solutions in Action in 2001 (originally the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy). She led Ashden as Founder Director from 2001 to 2019 in which time she became internationally recognised for her work in the field of green energy. Sarah is now Chair of the Trustees for Ashden. She also founded and chairs the Aurora Trust (originally the Ashden Trust) which funds and supports programmes and projects dedicated to mitigating climate change and increasing biodiversity. She is also a Trustee of the Linbury Trust and the King Charles III Charitable Fund and helps them integrate sustainability across their grant giving and investments.
Emma is Managing Director at Spring Impact, a non-profit that helps organisations to design, test and implement the strategies and partnerships needed to achieve impact at scale. Previously, Emma founded and led the Global Distributors Collective, an alliance of over 200 organisations that work to drive distribution of beneficial products to low-income households. She is a co-founder and former Executive Director of Pollinate Group, a multi-award winning last mile distribution enterprise in India and Nepal; an experienced trainer in social entrepreneurship and innovation; and has worked with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) focusing on development finance and innovation. Emma is also a Trustee at the Postcode Innovation Trust.
Shruti is the Co-Director of Campaigns at Global Witness where she is leading critical work to shift the balance of power towards people and communities impacted by the climate crisis, advocating for the rights of communities and civil society in advancing climate justice and campaigning for business and government accountability.
Wim Vanderhoof is a London-based entrepreneur and advisor with more than thirty years of experience in finance, focusing especially on infrastructure and sustainability. Wim was a co-founder of Quantum Power, an investment platform dedicated to the power and energy infrastructure sectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, he co-founded Navitas Capital, a merchant bank based in New York. His prior experience includes fifteen years as an investment banker, most recently with Credit Suisse First Boston. Wim holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Treasurer for Words Without Borders.
Mark is the Founder of the Carbon Tracker Initiative and conceived the ‘unburnable carbon’ capital markets thesis. He commissioned and was editor of Unburnable Carbon – Are the World’s Financial Markets Carrying a Carbon Bubble? in November 2011. More recently, Mark co-founded ‘Planet Tracker’ which focuses on agriculture, seafood, forestry, water and textiles. Mark is responsible for management strategy, board matters and developing their capital markets framework analysis. Their goal is to align capital markets with natural ecological limits to growth.
Prior to forming these groups, Mark had twenty five years experience in sustainable financial markets working for major institutional asset management companies. Mark is a co-founder of some of the first responsible investment funds firstly at Jupiter Asset Management in 1989 with the Ecology Funds, NPI with Global Care, the AMP Capital Sustainable Future Funds, and Henderson Global Investor’s Industries of the Future Funds.
Mark served on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development working group on capital markets leading up to the 1992 Earth Summit; was a Member of the Steering Committee of UNEP Financial Sector Initiative (1999-2003). Mark is a Founder Director of the UK Sustainable and Responsible Investment Forum (UKSIF), 1990-2006, a member of the Advisory Board of the New Venture Philanthropy’s ‘Conservation and Markets Initiatives’; is Hon Treasurer of The Rainforest Foundation UK and on the Development Board of the Ashden Awards. Mark is an advisor to Consilium Capital, to Faith Invest and serves on the Advisory Board of Tribe Impact Capital. Additionally, Mark is Visiting Lecturer at the Master’s Course of the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Mark has a BA in Politics & Economic History and an M.Sc in Agricultural Economics.
Louise has over 18 years’ experience of tackling climate change with local authorities and city-regions with a strong focus on citizen engagement and delivering action. As a Director of Quantum Strategy and Technology, she has supported Greater Manchester Combined Authority and various North West local authorities for over 12 years. She maintains her local focus through community renewable energy, local resilience groups and has set up a Repair Café in her village which is a haven of waste reduction and chatting over tea and cake.
During 2020 she was a Senior Advisor to the Climate Change Committee, focusing on local delivery of the sixth carbon budget. She researched and wrote Local Authorities and the Sixth Carbon Budget published alongside the Sixth Carbon Budget in December 2020.
Her early career focused on human rights in the Middle East, at Amnesty International and landmines charity, MAG.
Rebekah is the Director of Research, Data & Innovation at WRI Africa, where she works to create widespread public access to high-quality data and insights for mobilizing sustainable development solutions.
Prior to joining WRI, Rebekah was the Chief of Research at Power for All, a global non-profit organization advancing universal energy access. Over her tenure she built a novel energy research dissemination engine that fills critical knowledge gaps for practitioners and decision-makers on implementing integrated utility energy services, unlocking agricultural value-addition, and creating livelihoods in the African context, receiving multiple awards for this work.
Rebekah earned her PhD and MSc from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, where as a University Chancellor’s Fellow she designed innovative tools for power system planning in emerging markets. She has fourteen years of experience leading energy and environmental research across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Hailing from the West Indies with roots in Jamaica and Trinidad, Rebekah now lives in Nairobi with her husband and family. Together they enjoy exploring Kenya’s great outdoors.
She is also a Visiting Research Fellow at Strathmore University, where she mentors young students and researchers
Jane has over 15 years of global experience in the practice and application of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law with United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in various countries - Kosovo, Sudan, Ghana, Kenya and Switzerland. While in UNHCR, she designed and implemented multiple empowerment projects for youth, women, and refugee communities in various areas including security, basic education and gender mainstreaming.
She designed and implemented training programmes, key among them including Training of Trainers (TOT) Curriculum for Camp Management for displaced persons. An accomplished researcher, Ms Muigai Kamphuis has conducted studies on various legal, policy, regulatory and skills training topics. In 2020 and in 2019, she authored Gaps in Kenya’s Regulatory Framework on Workplace Based Training and A Synthesis of Inter-Agency Knowledge on Workplace Based Training Applicable to Skills Training for Vulnerable Youth in Kenya, respectively, for United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO). In 2017 she authored Standards and Instruments for Pedagogical Upskilling of Master Craftsmen in Kenya for World Bank and Government of Kenya Youth Employment Opportunities Project (KYEOP).
Previously, she authored and co-authored various publications, including Camp Management Toolkit, a global tool for NGO, UN and Government officials running refugee and displaced persons camps
Hannah is a young environmentalist from Bolton interested in environmental philosophy, critical time studies and political ecology. In 2022, she graduated from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, with a BA in geography before spending a year teaching about the connections between climate change and theology in primary schools and youth groups in Cambridge.
Previously, she was a member of youth-led NGOs including ClimaTalk and Generation Climate Europe and represented the young people of the United Kingdom in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, at COP27. Hannah will be travelling to SB58 in Bonn, Germany, with the Future Leaders Network before pursuing a master’s degree in Human Ecology at Lund University, Sweden.
Kit is a Senior Climate Adaptation specialist with Paul Watkiss Associates, with over 15 years’ experience in national and local adaptation in the public, private and third sectors. He specialises in work on place-based adaptation planning, finance and climate justice. He established the groundbreaking Climate Ready Clyde, Scotland’s largest place-based partnership on adaptation, which produced Europe’s first transformational adaptation strategy and action plan and Resource Mobilisation Plan and bankable investment propositions. He also lead the climate finance workstream for Adaptation Scotland. Since joining PWA, he leads a portfolio of climate risk, adaptation planning, finance and economics projects, including place-based Adaptation Investment Planning for 100 European regions in Pathways2Resilience, strategic advice on private sector finance of adaptation, as well as leading work for the UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce to develop new private sector guidance on adaptation and resilience in Transition Plans. Prior to this, Kit spent over 15 years in local and national government working on a wide variety of economic and climate policies, primarily for Newcastle upon Tyne, Glasgow, Core Cities and DEFRA.
He has chaired the UK Core Cities Group on Climate Adaptation, and has advised the CCC, Local and National Governments, the Covenant of Mayors, and the OECD on adaptation programmes.
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