I have always been passionate about the environment. We have a responsibility to future generations to safeguard our green spaces, reduce pollution and protect wildlife - locally, nationally and globally. 

My family and I try to do our bit - cycling, solar panels, environmental charities - but beyond that, I have been active running campaigns that make a broader contribution. 

In 2019, as a Councillor on Canterbury City Council, I was made Chair of the Council's Climate Change Group, working to reduce our emissions to NetZero by 2030. We have made a swift start on this, with initial work started on the electrification of buses, the move to a low energy council office and the build of a hydrogen manufacturing plant in my own ward, Greenhill.

Also, since 2017 I have been Chair of the Energy & Environmental Forum at Bright Blue, a leading Conservative think tank. In this role,  I organise regular discussions on key environmental topics between industry experts and those with a keen interest in policy making. Recent topics have included:

• Where next for animal welfare standards in British agriculture?

• Decarbonising transport to hit the carbon emissions target

• Energy tariffs - will the Government price cap help or hinder UK households from getting a better deal?

The events are open to all and seek to develop policies that Bright Blue can put in front of future politicians, with the goal of having them implemented. You can read about some of our research here. 

I lived in London for many years and while there I set up and ran my own environmental community group, organising 20 events which cleaned and greened the local environment. This included river clean-ups, litter picks, converting abandoned land into new green space and building a community allotment.

Now in Kent, I'm an active member of RSPB, where we have many fantastic wildlife reserves helping protect the natural environment of this beautiful county.