Written - Appointment of the Chair of the UK Committee on Climate Change

I am pleased to announce, jointly with the UK Government, the Scottish Government and Relevant Northern Ireland Department, that Lord Adair Turner has been appointed as the Chair Designate of the UK Committee on Climate Change (the Committee).

Lord Turner has significant experience both in business, as a former Director-General of the CBI and vice chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe; and in leading high profile advisory bodies to Government including as the current Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council and former Chair of the Independent Pensions Commission and the Low Pay Commission.

This experience, combined with his work on climate change issues, will ensure that the Committee establishes its independence and the credibility of its advice from the very start.

The Committee is a key part of the long-term legal framework proposed in the Climate Change Bill.

The Committee will be a high profile, independent, expert body, which will advise the UK Government and Devolved Administrations on the emissions reduction pathway to the 2050 target and on the appropriate level of the carbon budgets. The Committee will be required to provide advice on a range of related issues set out in the Bill and also to provide advice in response to specific requests from the UK Government, Welsh Assembly Government or the other devolved administrations.

The Bill proposes that the Committee be comprised of 5-8 members, plus the Chair, supported by a standing secretariat of staff to conduct in-depth analysis into the issues being considered.

Appointments for the first five members of the Committee will made following the appointment of the Chair. The appointments are being made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.

I look forward to working with Lord Turner, and the rest of the Committee once appointed, to ensure that action on climate change in Wales is informed by the best available advice and subject to rigorous challenge by the experts on the Committee.