UK appoints Nick Hurd as new climate change minister

Published on 21/07/2016, 5:28pm

Former head of Energy Africa initiative handed climate change portfolio in new department for business, energy and industrial strategy

Nick Hurd is climate minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Pic: Cabinet Office/Flickr)

By Ed King

Nick Hurd is the UK’s new minister for climate change, the government announced on Thursday.

A former minister in the Department for International Development, Hurd is a member of the Conservative Environment Network and is widely regarded as one of the party’s greener MPs.

The role will likely see Hurd represent the UK at international climate talks alongside the country’s new energy chief Greg Clark.

++Breaking++ Letter sent by @beisgovuk confirms @nickhurdmp as UK's minister with responsibility for climate change pic.twitter.com/EoF4m7Qc3H

— Leo Hickman (@LeoHickman) July 21, 2016

In his previous role the 54-year-old led the UK Energy Africa initiative aimed at delivering clean energy across Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Ghana, Rwanda and Malawi.

Speaking to Climate Home in May before the Brexit vote, Hurd stressed the government was fully committed to the climate change agenda.

“Its biggest test was Paris and the UK played a very positive role,” he said.