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Our team

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Peers for the Planet works to support Peers from across the House of Lords, including prominent environment experts and Peers bringing expertise from subjects including energy, science & technology, health, transport, housing, food, defence & security, education, business & skills, international relations, international development, governance, democracy & justice and much more.

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Our Chair, Vice-Chair and Directors are responsible for the formal oversight and governance of the Group’s work.

Helene is a Crossbench peer and former Lord Speaker of the House of Lords. She was MP for Welwyn and Hatfield in 1974. After losing her seat in 1979 Helene founded a charity, Maternity Alliance. She was involved in the NHS and a range of national and international organisations working on global health and development and chaired the Whittington Health NHS Trust for five years, from 1990-1996. In 1996, she entered the House of Lords and, following the 1997 General Election, held Ministerial posts in the Transport, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Health Departments, and was made a Privy Counsellor. In 2006 she was elected by members of the House of Lords to be the first ever Lord Speaker, serving a full term until 2011. Helene previously served as a trustee of the Disasters Emergency Committee and is a former Chair of Malaria No More UK.
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Baroness Hayman,
Chair
Baroness Boycott,
Vice Chair
Since co-founding Spare Rib Magazine over 50 years ago Rosie has had a career as a journalist, author, broadcaster, documentary maker, and more recently as a campaigner on environmental and food issues. She served as the editor of Esquire, the Independent and Independent on Sunday, and the Daily Express before going on to spend 10 years as Chair of the London Food Board, appointed by the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. She entered the House of Lords as a Crossbench Peer in 2018, where she is a member of the Environment and Climate Change Select Committee. Outside of Parliament she serves as Chair of Feeding Britain, and is a trustee of the Food Foundation, Sustain, the Woodland Saver, and the Hay Festival.
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Martha Lane Fox

Martha is a globally recognised businesswoman, philanthropist and public servant. She co-founded lastminute.com and karaoke company Lucky Voice and is Founder and Executive Chair of Doteveryone.org.uk. Martha was Digital Champion for the UK from 2009 to 2014, helping to create the Government Digital Service. She was on the Board of Channel 4 Television and M&S; chaired the Board of the digital skills charity, Go ON UK; and was a NED for the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. She is currently Chancellor of The Open University, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, and a NED at Chanel. She is a former Member of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. Martha entered the House of Lords in 2013 as a Crossbench peer.

Baroness Lane-Fox, Director
Daniel is a crossbench peer and took his seat in 2019 as the youngest member of the House of Lords. Outside of Parliament, Daniel is a project director working in the nuclear industry for a leading engineering consultancy firm; he has a strong technical background in nuclear reactor systems design and nuclear safety case development. Daniel is an advocate for environmental issues within Parliament. As well as his work with Peers for the Planet, Daniel is a board member of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and co-chair of the Midlands Engine all party parliamentary group, which he founded in 2020. Daniel has a masters in aerospace engineering from the University of Sheffield and is a chartered engineer with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.. 
Lord Ravensdale

Lord Ravensdale, Director

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John served as MP for Uxbridge from 1997 to 2010 and for Uxbridge and South Ruislip until 2015. He was given a knighthood in 2013 and awarded a life peerage in 2018. He was Government Deputy Chief Whip between May 2010 and October 2013, as well as Environment Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May from 2017 until July 2019. A lifelong conservationist and ornithologist, Lord Randall is a Council Member of the RSPB as well as a Trustee of the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum and the Bat Conservation Trust. Currently he is Chair of Thin Green Line, a charity devoted to the welfare of rangers worldwide. He is also Vice-Chair of the Human Trafficking Foundation and in February 2016 was appointed Special Envoy on modern slavery to the Mayor of London. 

Lord Randall of Uxbridge, Director

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Baroness Sheehan,
Director

Created a Liberal Democrat life peer in 2015, Shas is a member of the Lords’ Select Committee on Science and Technology. Formerly she was a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Energy and the Environment. From 2016 to 2020 she was the Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson for International Development. In 2006, Shas was elected as a Councillor for Kew ward on Richmond Borough Council, where she served as an Assistant Cabinet Member for Climate Change, utilising her expertise in environmental technology to work towards a greener Richmond. She also sat on the Planning Committee, Children’s Services Committee and Health Committee.

Baroness Sheehan, Director

About Me

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Created a Liberal Democrat life peer in 2015, Shas is a member of the Lords’ Select Committee on Science and Technology. Formerly she was a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Energy and the Environment. From 2016 to 2020 she was the Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson for International Development. In 2006, Shas was elected as a Councillor for Kew ward on Richmond Borough Council, where she served as an Assistant Cabinet Member for Climate Change, utilising her expertise in environmental technology to work towards a greener Richmond. She also sat on the Planning Committee, Children’s Services Committee and Health Committee.. 

Baroness Sheehan
Director

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Larry spent his earlier career in the aviation industry and civil service. After a degree in Economics, he joined the Trade Union Movement at the TUC and then GMWU (now GMB). He became General Secretary of the Labour Party from 1984 to 1994, later acting as Tony Blair’s contact on European matters. A Labour peer since 1996, he served as Lords spokesperson in the Foreign Office after the 1997 General Election and was a Minister for Transport at DETR and then a Minister for Environment and Agriculture at Defra. After leaving Government in 2005, he became Chair of the National Consumer Council and Consumer Focus and Board Member of Ofwat and the Environment Agency. He has served as chair or trustee of several charities in the fields of environment; road safety; fuel poverty and energy efficiency; and on the Board of companies dealing with energy efficiency and water retail. He has also conducted a number of Inquiries into energy, consumers and housing. He was a member of the House of Lords EU Select Committee and Chair of its Sub Committee on the internal market, dealing intensively with Brexit and related matters until July 2019 and is now a member of the Lords Select Committee on Environment and Climate Change.

Lord Whitty,
Director

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Lynette brings over 20 years experience in public policy, advocacy, business operations and governance. Prior to joining P4P, Lynette was Chief of Staff at Channel 4 Television, where she was also C4’s founding Executive Sponsor for the Environment. Lynette was previously Director for Government & Regulatory Affairs at Ofcom and has held a variety of roles in the public and private sectors, working in the UK and Brussels, including in consultancy, at the European Commission and the UNHCR. She started her working life at the UK Home Office.

Lynette Huntley,
Director

Lynette Huntley,
Director

The group benefits from the insight and expertise of a cross-party Advisory Panel, with Peers drawn from many walks of life: Baroness Boycott, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, Lord Knight of Weymouth, Lord Duncan of Springbank, Baroness Blackstone, Lord Teverson, Lord Chartres, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and Baroness Verma.

The Group is supported by the P4P Secretariat

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Emma joined P4P in September 2020 from the Marine Conservation Society where she was Head of Public Affairs, oversaw MCS's legislative and public affairs programme and led the Greener UK fisheries pillar.  Emma started out as a corporate lawyer and ran her own business before establishing a high profile advocacy project on HS2 working in coalition to seek better environmental outcomes and working as a parliamentary adviser. 

Emma Crane,
Head of Policy and Legislation

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Mark Engel,
Policy Communications Lead

Mark Engel, Policy and Communications Lead

Mark joined P4P in September 2022 from the energy regulator Ofgem where he was Head of the CEO and Chair’s Private Office, overseeing the private office team and wider network to provide strategic support, advice, and counsel to Ofgem’s senior leaders. Prior to this, Mark has worked in public affairs roles for an NHS regulator and a Westminster based public affairs agency. Mark has an MSC in Business Strategy and the Environment and is a Committee Member of a London Park.

Mark joined P4P in September 2022 from the energy regulator Ofgem where he was Head of the CEO and Chair’s Private Office, overseeing the private office team and wider network to provide strategic support, advice, and counsel to Ofgem’s senior leaders. Prior to this, Mark has worked in public affairs roles for an NHS regulator and a Westminster based public affairs agency. Mark has an MSC in Business Strategy and the Environment and is a Committee Member of a London Park.
Mark Engel, Policy and Communications Lead

Mark joined P4P in September 2022 from the energy regulator Ofgem where he was Head of the CEO and Chair’s Private Office, overseeing the private office team and wider network to provide strategic support, advice, and counsel to Ofgem’s senior leaders. Prior to this, Mark has worked in public affairs roles for an NHS regulator and a Westminster based public affairs agency. Mark has an MSC in Business Strategy and the Environment and is a Committee Member of a London Park.

Tom joined P4P in April 2024 from the British Red Cross where he led and advised the NGO’s engagement with Parliament and Government as public affairs manager, covering international development, climate-related disasters and emergencies and public health. Previously, Tom specialised in UK renewables and business policy, setting up and co-running ResPublica thinktank’s Industrial Strategy Unit. Prior to this, he handled accounts across tech, nature and energy at leading public affairs agency Portland. Tom holds an undergraduate and Master’s degree in International Security.

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About Me

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Tom joined P4P in April 2024 from the British Red Cross where he led and advised the NGO’s engagement with Parliament and Government as public affairs manager, covering international development, climate-related disasters and emergencies and public health. Previously, Tom specialised in UK renewables and business policy, setting up and co-running ResPublica thinktank’s Industrial Strategy Unit. Prior to this, he handled accounts across tech, nature and energy at leading public affairs agency Portland. Tom holds an undergraduate and Master’s degree in International Security.

Tom Nguyen, Senior Manager - Policy, legislation, comms

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Kyla joined P4P in May 2021 from ClientEarth, where she was a lawyer in their climate finance team focussing on legal strategies which foster accountability for the impacts of climate change within the financial sector.  Prior to this she was a commercial litigator in the London office of an international law firm and has previous experience as a researcher for a Member of the European Parliament.  Kyla is a qualified lawyer and has a degree in modern and classical Chinese. 

Kyla Taylor,
Policy and Legislation Manager

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Alasdair joined P4P in May 2020 from the House of Lords Committee Office where he worked on the Constitution Committee and coordinated the parliamentary scrutiny of international agreements on the European Union Committee. He has a degree in History and worked as a parliamentary tour guide before working in the Lords.

Alasdair Johnston, Parliamentary Coordinator

About Me

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Rachel joined P4P in November 2024 from the responsible investment NGO ShareAction, where she served as Head of Fundraising. She previously held fundraising and programmes roles in the international development sector with ActionAid, Unicef UK, and Teach A Man To Fish, focusing on education, livelihoods and women’s rights. Rachel holds an MSc in International Development Management from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree in European Studies and Modern Languages. 

Rachel Knight,
Fundraising Lead

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Hannah joined P4P in September 2021. She has many years experience of providing operational, communications and business management support for non-profit and public sector organisations, including the NHS and more recently a UK charity supporting the delivery of quality education in Rwanda. 

Hannah Messer,
Operations & Finance Manager/Director

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David joined P4P in May 2022 from the pension provider Nest, where he worked on investment policy. Prior to this he led the work of the Department for Work and Pensions on legislation for occupational pension schemes on climate change and wider environmental issues. David started out as a librarian prior to joining the civil service, where he also worked on communications, research and analysis. He lives in Sheffield and has a degree in metallurgy and the science of materials. David now works as an occasional advisor to P4P. 

David Farrar,
Advisor

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