WWT welcomes new Chair, Barnaby Briggs
This week, Barnaby Briggs was elected Chair of WWT by a unanimous vote from his fellow Trustees
He steps into the role previously held by Peter Day who sadly passed away in July.
Barnaby brings with him extensive experience from the conservation and energy sector where he has worked for decades to address environmental and social issues.
Having previously held the role of Energy and Transport Policy Officer at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for six years, he helped the RSPB to coordinate an international biodiversity response to the Kyoto climate negotiations, and address other policy issues around transport, including the impacts of UK and European roads on biodiversity. He also spent 14 years at Shell where he ran the Social Performance Management Unit, providing policy, best practice and guidance. Most recently he has been working in Mozambique, helping a gas project improve its social impacts there by setting up a large-scale agriculture project.
He arrives in the new role well-equipped with the skills to help lead WWT in the face of a climate and ecological emergency.
Barnaby said:
"It is a real privilege to be elected Chair of WWT after sitting on the Board of Trustees for nine years.Peter Day was Chair for much too short a time, and we all miss his hard work and humour.
“We are entering a critical period for our environment as nature faces the growing threats of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“But we know that wetlands are natural super-systems where wildlife and people thrive. We all depend on them, given their ability to capture carbon and prevent flooding. WWT has shown how to build and support bigger, better wetlands, and has exciting plans for the future.
“I am humbled to be given a chance to help steer WWT through this ecological crisis as we press governments to adopt a green recovery to put nature, climate and wetlands at the heart of policy decisions for the benefit of all.
“Nature and wildlife mean so many different things to so many different people but once it’s gone, it’s lost for ever. I take on this role, knowing that WWT has never been more relevant in the fight for a more sustainable future.”
Kevin Peberdy, Chief Operating Officer, added:
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome Barnaby as Chair on behalf of WWT. Barnaby is a long serving Trustee with a real understanding of WWT and brings with him a strong grasp of the wider environmental issues that we now face in the UK and internationally. We very much look forward to working with him going forward as we re-focus our efforts for wetlands and the wildlife and people that depend on them.”
