Action Group

Convenor

Director of Sustainability
University of Glasgow

Roddy is a sustainability expert who is responsible for the development and delivery of climate change and social responsibility initiatives that address the University’s response to net zero and sustainability issues across all of its operational assets.

Roddy was previously Executive Lead Sustainability at University of Strathclyde, leading the team delivering the University’s Climate Change and Social Responsibility Plan and net zero targets. Roddy successfully led the delivery of the £20M District Heating project at the main campus. He developed the design and funding programme that has enabled the delivery of the University’s first energy carbon neutral building in operation at the new National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.

Roddy also developed an innovative, bold and collaborative ‘Climate Neutral Districts’ vision deploying 100% renewable heat, power, active travel, adaptation and well being solutions across all University assets in the central belt of Scotland. The vision takes a partnership approach to enable ‘scale and speed’ of climate action in Glasgow and region, with people at the centre.

Roddy advises the Sustainable Glasgow Partnership and he is Convenor of Climate Ready Clyde. Roddy leads the Clyde Mission Net Zero Group that is seeking to decarbonise and adapt the Clyde Corridor. Roddy is a board member of the Clyde Climate Forest Programme Group and an external advisor and Board member of the West Dunbartonshire Energy Company which operates the award winning Queens Quay Heat Pump and Energy Centre. He is an external advisor to the Scottish Parliament’s Sustainability Board and to the Glasgow Metro Project.

Chief Executive, East Dunbartonshire Council

Gerry Cornes has worked in local government for 35 years, spending more than half of that time at East Dunbartonshire Council.  He is a chartered civil engineer who started his career with Strathclyde Regional Council Roads Department in 1985.  Shortly after local government reorganisation in 1996 he moved to East Dunbartonshire Council as a Contracts Manager in the Council’s Commercial Services Directorate. He then moved onto a Head of Service position where he had responsibility for a number of services including roads, property maintenance, waste management, fleet and greenspace, before taking up a Corporate Director’s post where his portfolio extended to include planning and economic development.

He was appointed as Chief Executive in January 2009 from his position as Corporate Director of Environment.  He represents East Dunbartonshire Council on the Glasgow City Region Chief Executives’ Group and leads the City Region’s Land Use and Sustainability Portfolio Group which includes climate change adaptation within its remit. He is SOLACE’s representative on COSLA’s Terms & Remuneration Working Group and the SJC Steering Group and is also one of SOLACE’s representatives on the Digital Delivery Board.

Director of Regional Economic Growth
Glasgow City Region

A graduate of the University of Glasgow, he worked as a political adviser at Westminster and Holyrood before joining Glasgow City Council in 2008 to provide policy advice to the Leader of the Council. In this role, he was responsible for the establishment of the Glasgow Living Wage and employment initiatives such as the Commonwealth Jobs Fund and Commonwealth Graduate Fund.

He became Senior Adviser to the Leader early in 2012, where he managed the Leader's Office. In January 2014, after a period as Assistant Head of Economic Development, he was appointed Head of Economic Development at Glasgow City Council, in which he had responsibility for employment, inward investment and business support in Glasgow. He was also responsible for the development and implementation of the Glasgow Economic Strategy 2016-23.

He was appointed to his current role in August 2017 where he is responsible for driving forward the implementation of the Glasgow City Region Economic Strategy and overseeing the delivery of the Glasgow City Deal.

Head of Sustainability
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Martin’s current role as Head of Sustainability for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde covers all aspects of Scottish Climate Change Plan and UN Sustainable Development Goals. He is the Corporate Leader for the organisation, to deliver technical Environmental, Waste & Sustainability support to Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s estates, facilities, procurement, projects and corporate services operations across the largest health board in Scotland. In addition to these responsibilities, he also contributes to the development and implementation of corporate policies and sustainability programmes, and specifically circular economy and climate change adaptation initiatives.

Interim Chief Officer, Circular Economy
SEPA

David Harley is Interim Chief Officer for Circular Economy at SEPA. David has worked for SEPA and predecessor bodies since 1991 in a wide variety of roles including ecological assessment, regulation, water policy and water framework directive implementation. His priority is on focussing SEPA’s considerable water and planning expertise and talent towards securing a more circular economy, in line with SEPA’s One Planet Prosperity vision.

Head of Policy
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT)

Head of Climate Change Policy and Implementation Unit, Scottish Government (Observer)