Kate Hughes, Director for International Climate Change, Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Kate Hughes is director for international climate change in the UK’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Kate leads teams supporting clean energy transitions (including the Powering Past Coal Alliance), green finance, sustainable supply chains, and increasing the uptake of electric vehicles. She has been senior reporting officer for BEIS’s share of the £5.8bn International Climate Fund, overseeing a range of programs designed to support developing counties to respond to the challenges and opportunities of climate change. The portfolio includes projects aimed at reducing deforestation, mobilising private finance, scaling up low carbon technologies and providing cutting-edge technical assistance, drawing on UK clean growth expertise.   Until recently, Kate was the UK Alternate Board member for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and she has co-chaired the Climate Investment Funds and Clean Technology Fund committee meetings. Kate has worked on UK and international climate and environment policies for twenty years.