ScottishPower has announced the appointment of Former Deputy Director of WWF Scotland Dr Sam Gardner as Head of Climate Change and Sustainability.

In the newly created role Dr Gardner will work across ScottishPower to develop and implement initiatives that will help the company deliver the transition to Net Zero.

Dr Gardner has been at the heart of the environment and climate change movement in Scotland following his 12 years with WWF and previous roles in SEPA and RSPB Scotland, and is a prominent and well respected voice in the sector.

Throughout his career Dr Gardner has been influential in the development of important energy and climate policy through engagement with a broad range of stakeholders. 

Welcoming the appointment of Dr Gardner, Keith Anderson Scottish Power CEO, said: "ScottishPower is on the road to delivering Net Zero, having left coal and gas generation behind in January. As part of this drive I’m delighted to welcome Sam to the team and look forward to him challenging people across ScottishPower as a positive and disruptive force as we ramp up our programme to decarbonise the economy."

Sam Gardner said: "After 12 brilliant years with WWF Scotland I am excited to be joining ScottishPower and helping them to play their full part in tackling the climate emergency we are all facing.  If we are to prevent the very worst impacts of climate change we need to see a massive acceleration in our response and ScottishPower will have an incredibly important role in enabling that.

"As the first and only fully renewable utility, Scottish Power is incredibly well placed to help lead that response, making it easier for households and businesses to make the decisions that will help us all build a better future faster."

Notes for editors

Sam Gardner has worked for WWF Scotland for the last 12 years, most recently as Deputy Director. Before that he enjoyed a period as Acting Director, was Head of Policy for five years and Senior Climate and Energy Policy Officer for five years.  

Sam’s work has involved leading the WWF Scotland team to advocate for lasting solutions to the environmental and climate change crisis.  His work has covered the introduction of the first Climate Change Scotland in 2009 and its implementation over the last ten years. 

He has worked closely with stakeholder from across industry, academia and the public sector on the transition to net zero, in particular on electric vehicles, low carbon infrastructure, renewable heat and the power sector. 

Sam previously worked for SEPA and the RSPB in Scotland.  

Sam has an Ecological Science degree from The University of Edinburgh and a PhD in environmental policy development from UCL.  Sam has been a Board member of Stop Climate Chaos, Evaluation Support Scotland and is currently on the Board of Scottish Environment LINK.