The Climate Change Committee has appointed a new chair, bringing an end to a two-year search for a permanent successor to Conservative peer John Gummer.
Nigel Topping has this week been appointed as chair of the CCC by energy secretary Ed Miliband and devolved government ministers.
The ministers had selected him as their preferred candidate and his appointment was confirmed after MPs on the Energy Security and Net Zero and Environmental Audit Committees backed the pick after scrutinising Topping earlier his month.
Topping, whose first day in the role was on Wednesday, has taken over from Piers Forster, who has been the committee’s interim chair for the last two years after Gummer – known as Lord Debden – departed in July 2023.
In November 2024, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero called in headhunters Saxton Bampfylde to help the government find a suitable candidate.
Topping has been a committee member of the CCC since May 2023. Before that, he served as the UN’s climate change high-level champion for COP26, and the UNFCCC’s global ambassador on the "Race to Zero" and the "Race to Resilience". He also has nearly 20 years’ experience in the private sector.
The CCC acts as independent climate advisers to the government, and the chair plays a key role in the committee’s work advising government on the delivery of its carbon budgets. The CCC's chief executive is Emma Pinchbeck.
Topping said it was "an honour to be appointed chair of the Climate Change Committee at this pivotal moment".
"The UK has an opportunity to deliver on its climate commitments in a way that reduces costs for households, powers our industries forward, and makes our economy more successful," he said. "It’s also important to ensure resilience against growing climate impacts and I look forward to working with Baroness Brown who leads our adaptation work."
He added: “I am committed to upholding the rigour and independent nature of the committee’s advice, while harnessing our country’s wealth of scientific, financial and business talent.”
Congratulating Topping on his appointment, Miliband, said: “We highly value the Climate Change Committee’s independent advice on how we can achieve net zero, so I am thrilled to have Nigel in this important role – as he brings extensive experience, including from his time serving as the UN High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26. "
Miliband said net zero is "the economic opportunity of the 21st century". He added: "Nigel’s business expertise will help us to maximise on this opportunity as we deliver our clean energy superpower mission – boosting energy security, creating good jobs, bringing down bills and tackling the climate crisis."
The energy secretary also thanked Forster and praised him for leading the committee "through an incredibly busy period overseeing advice on the UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget, three devolved carbon budgets, and a number of key progress reports to government".
Forster will remain a member on the committee. Responding to the news, he said: “I have really enjoyed chairing the committee across a change of government and want to thank the many people who supported me. I welcome the arrival of Nigel as permanent chair – his vast experience of working with the private sector will be invaluable to grow the role of business in the energy and land-use transition. I look forward to working alongside him and continuing to serve as a member of the committee.”