CCC seeks successor to Lord Deben

The Climate Change Committee has kicked off the search for a new chairman, with Lord Deben confirming he will step down in June after 11 years in the role.

Applications for the £1,000-a-day, parttime role are being sought by 20 April, with the successful candidate tasked with heading up the board of the government’s statutory advisor on reaching net zero.

Lord Deben, the former environment secretary and Conservative Party chair, joined the CCC in 2012. His second term came to an end last year but he agreed to stay on until June at the request of the secretary of state. At the time, the CCC said this was to “help ensure a smooth transition for the incoming chair and a series of new committee members”.

The recruitment process began officially on Friday (10 March) with interviews expected to end in August. The CCC told Utility Week it was possible an existing committee member would take on the role in an interim capacity after June until a new chair is appointed.

The body’s chief executive Chris Stark said: “The time has come to find a new chair for the CCC.

“Lord Deben steps down at the end of June – applications are open for his replacement.

“This is a public appointment for one of the best roles in public life. It deserves the most diverse field of talent.”

Energy security and net zero secretary Grant Shapps added: “This is an exciting time to join the CCC as the UK government and devolved governments make progress towards their stretching climate change goals.”

The advert for the role advises that the chair will be responsible for steering and developing the overall work of the CCC, overseeing its monthly meetings and representing the committee in public. The position requires a commitment equivalent to three days a week.

This week the CCC released a landmark report on decarbonising the power system, in which it called for “urgent changes” to hit the government’s target of achieving this by 2035.