Press release: 21 March 2024
We are excited to announce Emma Howard Boyd CBE as the new Chair of ClientEarth
Emma Howard Boyd CBE has been appointed as the new Chair of our Global Board. She will succeed Howard Covington, who has held the position since 2018, on 18 April.
Emma brings a wealth of experience to ClientEarth, having worked at the intersection of financial services and climate change, in the UK and internationally, across the NGO, government, and commercial sectors.
Throughout her career she has worked to drive action to protect the environment and ensure a stable climate; and has also called out those who seek to greenwash or otherwise delay environmental action.
She is ideally placed to champion ClientEarth and our work. Seized by the urgency of this critical decade, she has a keen appreciation for the power of the law to accelerate the positive change needed.
Emma’s career began in the finance sector, initially in corporate finance, and then in fund management, specialising in sustainable investment and corporate governance. She later served as the Chair of the UK Environment Agency between 2016 and 2022, and currently serves on a number of boards and advisory bodies including as Chair of the London Climate Resilience Review, Chair of the Green Finance Institute, Chair of ClimateArc, a Trustee of the European Climate Foundation and Trustee of Climate Resilience for All. She is also a UN Global Ambassador for Race to Zero and Race to Resilience.
In response to her appointment, Emma said,
“I’m delighted to join ClientEarth as its chair at such an important time. Tackling climate change and the other environmental crises facing our planet is my life’s work, and I am convinced that ClientEarth’s approach is one of the most effective there is. Whether it is holding big polluters to account, advocating for the right legislation, or supporting others in using the law, ClientEarth is a positive force for our planet.
“I am looking forward to working with Laura, ClientEarth’s team and supporters, and drawing on my own expertise and networks to support and guide the organisation in achieving even greater impact.”
Laura Clarke, CEO of ClientEarth, said:
“I am so glad that Emma will be our new Chair. Her experience and expertise in the environment sector, in finance and in governance, combined with networks in the UK and internationally, will make her a brilliant successor to Howard Covington.
“I know that as ClientEarth’s Chair, Emma will guide and inspire us as we strive to maximize our impact in this critical decade, using the law to drive the change we need for both people and planet. I am looking forward to working with her in the months and years ahead.
“We are hugely grateful to Howard Covington for his dedication and leadership, and for overseeing significant growth in ClientEarth’s reach and global impact over the past six years.”
ENDS
About ClientEarth
ClientEarth is a non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants. We are tackling climate change, protecting nature and stopping pollution, with partners and citizens around the globe. We hold industry and governments to account, and defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. From our offices in Europe, Asia and the USA we shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive together.