What does it mean to you personally and professionally to be named Lead Non-Executive Director at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero?
It’s incredibly exciting to contribute at this stage. Nearly 20 years ago, I helped create the Climate Change Act and spent several years in the department, so returning now feels especially meaningful. The net zero transition is at a pivotal moment, not just tackling climate change but also reducing bills and creating jobs. It’s one of the most fascinating areas of policy, and I’m eager to bring my experience to add real value.
What do you see as the key priorities in this new role—especially given the current global and national challenges around energy security, climate change, and sustainability?
One of the biggest challenges is how to accelerate the net zero transition. This is a particularly complex time globally, with significant geopolitical uncertainty, but it’s also a time of great opportunity. Emerging technologies are advancing rapidly, and costs are coming down across several areas. The key challenge is how we can speed up the transition while building strong domestic supply chains and positioning ourselves as a global leader in sectors such as carbon capture and storage and offshore wind.
This appointment marks a significant milestone for South Asian representation in senior public leadership in the UK. How do you reflect on this moment, and what message do you think it sends to the wider community?
We’ve seen significant South Asian representation at the political and ministerial level, particularly with Rishi Sunak becoming Prime Minister and several Cabinet members also from South Asian backgrounds. However, there has been less representation at the highest levels of the Civil Service and in the executive world. I’m obviously pleased to be taking on the lead NED role and hope we can work towards achieving a better balance, ensuring greater diversity not just in ministerial and political positions, but also across the Senior Civil Service and wider public sector roles.
In your experience, how important is diversity at the top levels of policymaking—particularly in departments as crucial as Energy and Net Zero?
Diversity of experience, perspective, and viewpoint is absolutely critical in every organisation, including those working on net zero. When I think about diversity, I focus particularly on diversity of background. You need people with engineering expertise, commercial experience, and a deep understanding of how the industry will react. One of the challenges in the net zero space is that it’s often led by generalist policymakers, and it can be difficult for them to fully anticipate industry responses without having those varied skill sets represented at all levels, whether on boards or within the Civil Service. A key role of a NED is to provide constructive challenge, stress-test ideas, and bring in perspectives from outside government. The best policies I’ve been involved with have always embraced openness and drawn on ideas well beyond the organisation’s walls. That’s why diversity is so important, it consistently leads to better policymaking.
Your work at Nesta has centered on innovation and public problem-solving. How do you see your experience there shaping your approach to this new role?
Nesta acts quite uniquely as a bridge between practice and policy, and between academia and investment. We run numerous on-the-ground projects with supermarkets, energy companies, and local authorities, using these trials to gather practical insights and feed them back into shaping policy. I would like to see more of this kind of cross-fertilisation between academia, practice, and policy, as these worlds often don’t talk to each other or fully understand one another’s perspectives. I’m proud that Nesta genuinely has a foot in all these camps: we act as a venture investor, a policy influencer, a grant-maker, and a research organisation. That breadth enables us to connect insights from different sectors and drive real impact.
Are there specific lessons from your work in social impact science and technology? Or you know public innovation that you hope to apply in this context?
My background at Nesta can add real value to the net zero agenda because major public policy challenges are ultimately about innovation, designing new ideas, testing them rigorously, and scaling what works. I bring three key areas of expertise: first, behavioural science, as achieving net zero requires major shifts in consumer behaviour and NESTA’s world-leading Behavioural Insights Team can help shape more effective policies; second, a strong commitment to empiricism, using rigorous trials and real-world data to ensure interventions genuinely work before scaling them; and third, a focus on mission-driven government, applying a ‘moonshot’ mindset to big, ambitious outcomes with continuous learning and innovation. Together, these approaches can help accelerate the net zero transition and deliver lasting impact."
What are the biggest opportunities you see for the UK to lead on energy transformation, and what role can departments like DESNZ play in accelerating innovation and equity in the green transition?
There are several ways in which the UK has led and can continue to lead on net zero. First, the Climate Change Act has been a model for many other countries, with our institutional and policy frameworks often emulated internationally. Second, the UK is well placed to lead in specific technologies. We are investing in four major CCS clusters, which is a rare level of commitment globally. There is also significant investment in nuclear, from Sizewell to small modular reactors and even fusion, as well as major advances in offshore wind. We have already massively expanded offshore wind capacity, and we will continue to innovate, driving costs down and pioneering floating offshore wind. Each of these technologies requires extensive supply chains, and by delivering at scale and pace, we can make it economically viable to build those supply chains here in the UK rather than relying on other countries.
What advice would you give to young South Asians who aspire to careers in public policy, sustainability, or leadership roles in government?
First, if you’re interested in social impact and making a difference in the world, working inside government is an incredibly fulfilling career, as is working in organisations like Nesta that focus on innovation and public services. In terms of purpose and impact, there’s no better place to be than in organisations like DESNZ or Nesta. Second, to be truly effective in these roles, it helps to build a diverse range of experiences. Working on the frontline, spending time in industry, and then moving into government gives you a unique perspective. You don’t need to start at the bottom of the ladder or go straight into the Fast Stream, you can move in and out of government and the wider public sector, bringing valuable skills from elsewhere. The best policy shapers of the future will combine broad, generalist skills with specialist expertise, whether in a specific sector, engineering, or other technical fields."
