Coventry’s Independent Climate Change Board

Margot James - Executive Chair

WMG, University of Warwick

Margot is Executive Chair of WMG, responsible for the strategic direction and development of WMG, at the University of Warwick.

Prior to joining WMG Margot served as Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries and Member of Parliament for Stourbridge.

Cllr Jim O'Boyle – Vice Chair

Coventry City Council

Jim is Coventry’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council. Jim was elected to Coventry City Council in 2007 and is committed to creating an environment where business and innovation can succeed in order to create jobs and spread wealth evenly across the city and wider region.

You can watch a video from Jim and Margot talking about their plans:

Julie Nugent

Chief Executive, Coventry City Council

Dr Julie Nugent joined Coventry City Council as Chief Executive in June 2023. She has a strong track record in attracting and delivering investment to support businesses, people, and communities. She has worked at senior level across a range of organisations, at national, regional, and local level – including senior roles in government, the voluntary sector and education.

Lisa Hofen

Director of Estates and Facilities, Coventry University

Professor Stephanie Panichelli-Batalla

Academic Lead for Sustainability, University of Warwick

Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla is a Professor in Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick and the University’s Academic Director for Sustainability, leading the University’s Sustainability Strategy, with a particular focus on Education, Research, and Engagement. Previously, she was the Head of the School for Cross-Faculty Studies, where she focused on the growth of the UG and PG programmes in the different departments of the School (Global Sustainable Development and Liberal Arts), while also setting up more recently a new division in Design Studies as well as providing support to the growth of the School’s research Institute, the Institute of Global Sustainable Development. 

Clive Robinson

Sustainable Development Manager, University Hospital Coventry

Clive has been the Sustainable Development Manager at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust since April 2010 and the Chairman West Midlands NHS Sustainability Network since October 2014. The NHS has been on a sustainability journey for the last 15 years primarily due to the impact on the population.

Rachel Jones - Pathway Lead, Route to Net Zero Pathway working group

Chief Executive, Act on Energy

Corin Crane

Chief Executive, CW Chamber

Ed Green - Pathway Lead, Nature Pathway working group

Chief Executive, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT)

Ed has been the CEO of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust since May 2014 and is passionate about bringing wildlife back to Warwickshire and empowering communities to take action for nature. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is supported by over 26,000 members and over 600 volunteers.

Neil Griffiths

Strategic Enabler for Sustainability, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS)

Neil has been working on opportunities through the WMFS’ extensive activities focused on prevention and protection for the City of Coventry as a Strategic Enabler for Sustainability. Its role is to work with the public and businesses to assist climate change and can support reaching the heart of the community.

Matthew Rhodes

Director, Camirus

Matthew has supported low carbon business for the last 20 years. Matthew is heavily involved in the LEP and the Combined Authority. He is the Chair of Energy Capital which finds better ways of working with infrastructure providers to deliver zero carbon.

Sophie Mason

Energy & Sustainability Lead, Coventry Building Society

Coventry Building Society is aiming to be carbon neutral by the end of the year. CBS has worked with the council for several years, particularly on social value and they are looking forward to working collaboratively particularly supporting education and schools.

Sarah Windrum

Head of Cluster Development – HORIBA MIRA

Louise Woollen

Environment and Sustainability Manager, West Midlands Police

Louise is relatively new to the position of the Environment and Sustainability Manager at the West Midlands Police. The West Midlands Police are keen to have an environment strategy in place and are currently engaging widely to shape the strategy with the aim to set net zero goals from a policing point of view.

Charlotte Heaney

Finance and Business Partner, Net Zero and Sustainability Lead, Severn Trent Water

Severn Trent is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 as part of its triple pledge on carbon. It supports the need to adapt and take action to cope with future weather changes.

Suzanne Ward - Pathway Lead, Adaptation and Resilience Pathway working group

Environment Agency

Suzanne is an Environment Leader with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry. Suzanne is Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency covering West Midlands Combined Authority and Warwickshire.

Clare Wightman, Pathway Lead, Fairer Green Futures Pathway working group

CEO, Grapevine Coventry and Warwickshire

Clare is CEO of a national award-winning social action charity, Grapevine Coventry and Warwickshire. She is committed to putting people, relationships and collaborations at the heart of this work. Open-hearted collaborations solve problems and open up opportunities - for people, for organisations and for systems. We need that more than ever.

Professor Helen Wheatley - Pathway Lead, Fairer Green Futures Pathway working group

Director of Film and Television Studies, The University of Warwick Institute of Engagement

Russ Hall - Pathway Lead, Circular Economy Pathway working group

Principal Engineer – Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing, WMG, University of Warwick

Russ is the lead contact for circular economy and sustainable manufacturing at Warwick Manufacturing Group. Russ works with manufacturers in all industrial sectors to help reduce emissions, improve energy efficiencies and highlight opportunities for resource efficiencies.

Liz Hopkins

Environmental and Sustainability Manager, West Midlands Fire Service

Carol Hardingham

Head of Environment Galliford Try

Duncan Healey

Highways Environmental Lead, Galliford Try

Paul Warrington

Relationship Director, Lloyds Bank

Paul has worked with small and medium-sized businesses for the last 23 years in various roles at Lloyds Bank. He is currently Senior Relationship Director and Founder and Chair of the Lloyds Bank SME Sustainability Board for North-West, Midlands & Wales. He is also a member of the CBI Leaders programme for the West Midlands. 

Paul is passionate about helping companies advance towards net zero by making strategic decisions and investments. 

Kevin Rogers

CEO - Citizen Housing

Kevin was appointed Chief Executive at Citizen Housing in May 2015. Prior to that he was the Group’s Deputy Chief Executive and Group Finance Director having previously worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.