Light Refreshments & Roundtable |Building Green Skills: Achieving the UK’s Climate Goals and Boosting Economic Growth. Hosted by the Environmental Policy Forum.
Net Zero Week in Parliament is openly inviting MPs and policy aides, Peers and civil servants to attend events between Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th July.
If you would like to attend this roundtable discussion, please email the host Sarah Ridgeon at sarah.ridgeon@socenv.org.uk
Roundtable details:
Tuesday 8th July 2025 | 14:45 – 16:15 | Room U, Portcullis House.
Roundtable synopsis:
This roundtable event will explore how policymakers and practitioners can work together to collectively achieve both the UK’s climate goals and economic growth, to secure sustainable development.
As a coalition of professional bodies and learned societies, we know first-hand of the widespread green skills challenges that currently act as barriers to opportunity.
During this event we will elaborate on the skills needed to deliver our environmental priorities for policymakers, presenting solutions from across the built environment, landscape, ecology, resource management, engineering and environmental management disciplines.
Please join us for an insightful roundtable discussion, to be followed by networking and refreshments.
*This event is Sponsored by Lauren Edwards MP.
Roundtable Panellists:
Professor Will Pope FIEnvSci HonFSE CEnv CSci, Chair, Environmental Policy Forum (EPF).
Will has a wealth of experience, leadership and expertise gained from senior roles within industry, the NHS and academia, including at chairman and chief executive level. He was CEO of the UK’s largest integrated health, safety and environmental business for 10 years and has been one of the UK’s leaders in managing and developing environmental technology companies over the last 35 years.
Having helped found the EPF in 2013, Will is the current Chair. Will is also Vice President of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) and a former Chair of the IES and the Society for the Environment (SocEnv).
Katie Cockburn, Senior Director of Policy, Media and Education, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).
Katie is Senior Director of Policy, Media and Education at CIWM, with twenty years’ experience in the vocational and technical education space, more than fifteen of these spent developing and improving professional skills programmes in the waste and resource management sector. At CIWM, she is currently responsible for leading a full and inclusive education portfolio, impactful policy engagements and insights, a clear communications and media strategy and the implementation of the CIWM’s EDI Strategy and is passionate about building the career attractiveness of our vital sector.
Peter Egan, Chair of the Institution of Royal Engineers Sustainability Forum, Institution of Royal Engineers.
Peter has spent 28 years working in the built environment across government and private sectors. As an engineering professional, Peter takes a holistic approach to driving sustainability into the heart of projects and strategic planning, focused on upscaling initiatives and solutions that enable low impact and circular outcomes. Having worked within professional institutions for the last 10 years, he has extensive experience in embedding competence via engagements, mentoring and training. Peter is a Trustee of the Society for the Environment, Engineers Trust and is the sustainability lead for the Institution of Royal Engineers.
Carolin Göhler, President, Landscape Institute.
Carolin is a Chartered Landscape Architect and horticulturalist with extensive work experience in the public and third sectors in the UK and overseas. Most recently this has been as a garden and landscape architect, project manager, CEO and landscape consultant. Carolin is a generalist with work specialisms that include horticulture; the design and implementation of gardens – urban, rural, natural and heritage landscapes; charity and land management. Carolin is a strong advocate for the importance of the landscape-led approach i.e. sustainable and quality landscapes. They are essential for health and well-being, benefitting both people and nature.
Douglas Robert Lewns, Policy Officer, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).
Douglas works as the Policy Officer at CIEEM striving to influence governments, civil servants, environmental partners, and other sectors for the benefit of people and nature. When not working he enjoys searching for wildlife and finding new places to eat.
Sarah Mukherjee MBE, Chief Executive, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).
Previously Sarah was the BBC’s Environment correspondent, presenting on national and international BBC radio and television, winning awards across the world. Sarah has held leadership roles in various sectors including utilities and agriculture. Sarah was a panel member for the National Parks Review, the Glover Review and also sat on the National Food Strategy Advisory Panel. She is co-chair of the Natural England Landscape Advisory Panel and a Non-executive Director on the Board of the Environment Agency
Since joining IEMA Sarah has been instrumental in implementing a Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI) strategy.
Emma Wilcox CEnv, Chief Executive, Society for the Environment (SocEnv).
Emma became the Chief Executive of the Society for the Environment, the Chartered Organisation responsible for registering environmental professionals, in 2015. Emma is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of IOM3 as well as a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business Programme.
As well as the Chair of the IOM3 Sustainability Development Group (SDG), Emma is a member of the UK Government’s Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel (GAAP) and a Board Member of the Future Water Association.
Amanda Williams BSc(Hons) FIEMA CEnv, Head of Environmental Sustainability, Chartered Institute of Building.
Amanda is Head of Environmental Sustainability at the Chartered Institute of Building, as well as a Subject Matter Specialist (sustainability) for Ofqual. She has worked as a sustainability practitioner for over 20 years and has broad experience, having worked in the higher education, land and facilities management, defence, and manufacturing sectors as well as on policy and regional liaison for a Green Member of the European Parliament. She is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA).
Attendance:
Book your attendance at this roundtable event by contacting the host Sarah Ridgeon at sarah.ridgeon@socenv.org.uk
