The House of Lords has appointed Professor Kathy Willis as a new non-party-political peer, after being recommended by the independent House of Lords Commission. She joins the crossbenches, comprising independent peers who provide deep, wide-ranging expertise to the House. This group help ensure the House can effectively examine, question, and provide recommendations to policy being implemented by the elected members of the House of Commons.
Professor Willis’s nomination came from her position as an internationally recognised expert on nature and the relationship between biodiversity, climate change, and human wellbeing. She has a wide range of experience on UK-based environmental policies, served as a member of the government's Natural Capital Committee, and provided detailed analysis and scrutiny of the scientific evidence base underpinning the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan, Biodiversity Net Gain policies, and the Environment Act. She received a CBE in 2018 for services to Biodiversity and Conservation.
The Department congratulates Professor Willis, and looks forward to her contributions to the UK Government’s environmental policies in the future.
