Rt Hon Lord Barker of Battle PC served as UK Minister of State for Energy & Climate Change from 2010 to 2014. He presided over the largest ever expansion of UK clean energy, seeing the percentage of renewable electricity on the grid rise from 6% to 18%. After training as a stockmarket analyst Lord Barker’s City career spanned mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance, investor relations, the energy sector and private equity.

Following the election of 2010 he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and was appointed to the Privy Council in 2012. His achievements at the DECC included the creation of the Green Investment Bank, a radical new approach to energy efficiency and a massive expansion of decentralised energy, including the deployment of 5GW of Solar PV, and panels on over 750k homes. He over saw the launch of the world first, Renewable Heat Incentive. He helped deliver the comprehensive reform of the UK electricity sector, which has created the world’s largest offshore wind programme. He pioneered UK “green” trade missions abroad and in addition to his role at DECC, served as Minister for Business Engagement with India from 2012 – 2014. Lord Barker took a lead international role mobilising private climate finance for developing countries.

After Lord Barker stood down from Government in July 2014, he was appointed the Prime Minister’s envoy on Climate Change. He relinquished this formal role ahead of leaving the House of Commons in March 2015 to re-join the private sector. He now serves on the board of, and advises several major companies both at home and abroad.

Lord Barker was appointed chair of the London Sustainable Development Commission by Mayor Boris Johnson in January 2015 and also joined the London Infrastructure Delivery Board. He is a trustee of the Climate Group, a member of the European board of the Environmental Defence Fund and a trustee of the board of De La Warr Pavilion.