Personal Statement
John has over 30 years’ experience in assessing the impacts of climate change, overlapping with 28 years in the water industry (Severn Trent Water 1976-2004). He was the co-founder and CEO of Acclimatise (2004-2020) which was acquired by Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in November 2020. From 2020-2023 he was a Senior Director at WTW. At the time of acquisition Acclimatise was the largest ‘pure-play’ climate adaptation and resilience consultancy in the world with offices in the UK, USA and India.

John is passionate about the need to transition from fossil fuels, to adapt to a changing climate and build resilience to the systemic risks we face. He has spoken extensively at conferences around the world and engaged with Presidents, Prime Ministers, CEOs, business leaders, scientists, administrators and activists translating science into knowledge.

During his time at Acclimatise, the company worked on nearly 500 projects, of which just over 100 involved John either as a team member or project director. His recent years at WTW were spent as an internal advisor on climate change. He has a particular interest in the impacts of climate change on the business and financial services sectors (risks and opportunities); and has been actively engaged on work related to the ‘Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures’ (TCFD). He has worked extensively on country National Adaptation Plans (25 countries) developing the linkages between non-state actors, government and politicians to create shared agendas for policy reform and action. His interests include climate risk and vulnerability assessments, cross-boundary and cross-sector impacts, WASH, legal liability, nature-based solutions, disclosure of information to investors, the mobilisation of private-sector finance, climate funding in developing countries, loss and damage, indigenous communities and the integration of adaptation/resilience into national policy making. He has an interest in the value of earth observation data to assess climate risk and opportunities to adapt and build resilience and was invited by the US Govt to support its contribution to the GEO XIV Plenary in Washington DC in 2017.

His earlier professional years were spent in strategic planning in flood management, drought management, water resource management, public water supply and treatment, public sewerage and treatment and contributing to Severn Trent Water’s AMP submissions to OFWAT.

John has worked with commercial and international development banks, governments and their agencies, insurers, investors, companies, development partners, cities, NGOs and international organisations. His experience includes working in over 30 countries in Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Australia, South and South-East Asia

John has been an active participant in many advisory groups including:
• the EU Taxonomy working group,
• the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change,
• the Climate Bonds Initiative,
• Group of Earth Observations (member of the Climate Change Working Group),
• founder member and Chair of the Netherland Government’s Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation Implementation Group (which became the Global Center on Adaptation).