Bob Ward appointed new Chair of London Climate Change Partnership

Bob Ward, Policy and Communications Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has been appointed Chair of the London Climate Change Partnership. Bob joined the LSE in 2008 having previously worked at Risk Management Solutions and  the Royal Society. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society, the Royal Geographical Society and the Energy Institute.

The London Climate Change Partnership brings together organisations and companies who are working together to make London the most climate-resilient global city. Its vision is that London’s people, buildings, infrastructure, and systems are adapting dynamically to its changing climate, and its economy is reaping the rewards of being a world leader in this field. The Partnership plays an important role in driving forward adaptation to extreme weather and climate change in London to ensure the capital continues to be an attractive place to live, work, invest in and visit. The Partnership currently has 30 members. Bob succeeds Louise Pryor, Chair of the Ecological Building Society, who successfully completed her three-year term as Chair of the Partnership.

Bob has been representing the LSE in the Partnership since 2013, and was appointed Deputy Chair in 2018. He will be stepping up to lead the Partnership as Chair at a crucial time. The Government is due to publish shortly the updated National Adaptation Programme for England. In March 2023, the Climate Change Committee released the latest of a series of highly critical reports about the current state of climate change adaptation in England. 

Accepting the post of Chair, Bob Ward, said:

“London is one of the world’s great cities, and its resilience to the growing impacts of climate change is of global importance. It is already experiencing more intense and frequent heavy rainfall and high temperatures, and rising sea levels are affecting the Thames estuary. To remain a place where people want to live and work, London needs to adapt to these impacts. I look forward to working with the other members of the London Climate Change Partnership, and with local, national and international decision-makers, to raise awareness of the challenges that climate change impacts are creating for the capital, and the actions we can and must take to adapt.”

Sam Longman, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Environment at Transport for London, succeeds Bob as Deputy Chair of the Partnership. Sam is a sustainable transport expert and leads the London Transport Adaptation Steering group bringing  together organisations responsible for delivering sustainable transport across London. Sam will lead on work to expand and diversify the membership of the Partnership as well as helping to drive forward the core work of the Partnership. 

Shirley Rodrigues, London’s Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment, said:

“I welcome Bob Ward’s appointment as the new Chair of the London Climate Change Partnership. Bob brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role at a vital time for the capital.

The climate emergency is one of the biggest global threats we face. In London we are experiencing it first-hand with heatwaves, flash floods and record-breaking hot weather in recent years.

We need to act now – and by working together, The London Climate Change Partnership can help make London a climate-resilient city.“