Pippa Heylings: Climate Champion
Pippa Heylings has the environmental credentials South Cambs needs
From the pollution choking our rivers to the worsening climate crisis, we need representatives who understand the scale of the challenge and will bring urgent action. For Pippa Heylings, this is her life’s work. She was recently included in the highly regarded ENDS Power List for her environmental action. Here we set out more on her record.
After working for three years as a teacher, Pippa travelled to Zanzibar to train teachers as a volunteer for the VSO. Getting to know the community there, she realised the impact of overfishing on the local population. Pippa took action, working with the community to find way to manage the fisheries sustainably. From there, a career as a facilitator, working with communities, local and national governments on environmental issues was born.
Pippa has worked all over the world, attending UN Climate and Nature conferences to speak up for the planet and the rights of local communities. She was instrumental in the creation of the Galapagos Islands Marine Reserve, serving as facilitator in the creation of its management plan. Here in South Cambs, she has spearheaded the drive to make the district lead the way on the green agenda as chair of its Climate Change committee. From zero carbon communities grants to a fleet of electric bin lorries to ambitious plans to double nature, under the Lib Dem leadership South Cambs District is prioritising environmental action.
Having served as a Policy Advisor to the UK’s international climate policy programme, Pippa supported governments at multiple global COP summits. She is now delivering for Nature, People and Climate in the most threatened landscapes as Team Lead for the UK’s largest international biodiversity fund. At the Glasgow COP26, Pippa spoke to world leaders on behalf of all local councils and secured changes to get greater local powers for climate action.
Pippa says “The climate and biodiversity crises are the biggest challenges we face. And the water pollution issue just keeps getting worse. I was honoured to be included on the first ever ENDS Environmental Power list to feature politicians, and if elected to Parliament I will do all I can, not just to push for action, but to put into practice all I’ve learnt through my career about the importance of working with communities to deliver lasting change.”