Peers for the Planet announces new Chair and strengthened board
- Peers for the Planet
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Peers for the Planet is pleased to announce the appointment of Baroness Willis of Summertown CBE as our new Chair, alongside several new additions to our board of directors to further strengthen our leadership team.
Baroness Kathy Willis succeeds Baroness Helene Hayman, our long-standing Chair and co-founder, who will be stepping down in May after nearly six years of outstanding leadership. During her tenure, Baroness Hayman has been an inspirational leader in the House of Lords — working expertly and constructively to build action and collaboration across parties.
Her efforts have been instrumental in raising the profile of climate and nature issues in parliament and securing legislative change with real-world impacts. In the last five years, she has helped Peers for the Planet grow into a valued and trusted partner, able to help maximise the efforts of experts across the scientific, academic, business and civic communities.
Baroness Willis will bring a wealth of experience to the role. She is currently Professor of Biodiversity and Principal of St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford and previously served as an expert adviser to the Government on environmental policy, including 5 years on HMGs Natural Capital committee and the development of 25 Year Environmental Plan in.
Alongside our new Chair, we are pleased to announce a strengthened board of directors, with Lord Ravensdale joining Baroness Boycott as Vice-Chair of the group, and Lord Gascoigne and Baroness Young of Old Scone joining as Directors.
Rt Hon Baroness Hayman GBE, outgoing Chair of Peers for the Planet said “It is now nearly six years since we first gathered to establish the group to see what more we in the Lords could do to help tackle the twin threats of our age – climate change and biodiversity loss – and I feel a huge sense of pride in what has been achieved over this time by Peers from across the House and our brilliant support team”.
“I have no doubt that Baroness Willis and a strengthened board of directors will bring fresh energy and imagination to the work of the group and help maintain a crucial bedrock of consensus on the need to tackle the climate and nature crisis in the Lords”.
Baroness Kathy Willis, incoming Chair of Peers for the Planet said, “It is a great honour to follow in the footsteps of Baroness Hayman, who has helped to create a truly inspiring model in the Lords - one that has consistently made the case for change and helped shape legislative blueprints to advance our climate and nature goals”.
“I will put all my energy into nurturing the collaborative spirit that has been built, so we can continue to work together to harness the depth of expertise and passion we have in the Lords - to provide leadership and creative thinking that delivers a fair transition and nature-positive future”.
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Peers for the Planet was formally established in 2020 as the House of Lords climate and nature action group. It brings together and supports diverse legislators in the House of the Lords who want to put systemic environmental threats, and associated socio-economic challenges, at the top of the political agenda.
Our Chair, Vice-Chair and Directors are responsible for the formal oversight and governance of the Group’s work. Our new Board of Directors include:
Baroness Willis of Summertown, Chair
Baroness Boycott, Vice-Chair
Lord Ravensdale, Vice-Chair
Lord Gascoigne
Rt Hon Baroness Hayman GBE
Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho CBE
Rt Hon Lord Randall of Uxbridge
Baroness Sheehan
Rt Hon Lord Whitty
Baroness Young of Old Scone
Lynette Huntley, Director
Hannah Messer, Director
The Group is supported by the P4P Secretariat, a registered non-profit entity which provides staffing, secretariat and organisational support to the Lords grouping, as well as facilitating access to the latest research and insight from a broad range of experts and other stakeholders.
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