Defra and the Devolved Governments have appointed Dr Michael Keil and Mr Ian Dickie to the Adaptation Committee of the Climate Change Committee.
The Adaptation Committee is comprised of experts in the fields of climate change impacts, science, environmental economics, conservation, public health and business. It provides independent, expert advice on preparing for and adapting to climate change to UK and devolved governments and parliaments.
Dr Michael Keil and Mr Ian Dickie’s appointments will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. The appointments have been made in line with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Governance Code for Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.
Dr Michael Keil said
It’s an enormous privilege to be given this opportunity to play a key role in shaping the UK’s response to climate change. You don’t have to look far to see the impact it’s already having on our lives, not least in the water sector where we are facing a race against time to secure enough water to meet our future needs.
The UK has a wealth of unrivalled expertise which can find effective solutions but we need to accelerate our efforts. This means not only developing new infrastructure but, crucially, inspiring much-needed changes in people’s behaviour and habits where there remains so much untapped potential. It’s also critical we work with, rather than against, the natural environment to bolster our resilience.
Ultimately, every individual, across current and future generations, has a stake in the decisions we take now to ensure we have a well-adapted UK that not only keeps people safe but allows communities and nature to flourish.
Mr Ian Dickie said
It is a pleasure and honour to be joining the Adaptation Committee to help apply environmental economics to the increasing urgent and current challenge of adapting to climate change.
I will contribute to the Committee’s work to consider the full range of adaptation options available to society. It is important to promote both the costs and benefits of acting on adaptation and identify the potential synergies and trade-offs with other societal challenges. These include achieving net zero, particularly in agricultural and other sectors heavily dependent on natural capital, as well as nature recovery and public health.
I aim to ensure that adaptation options are relevant across the diversity of the UK, from remote rural to inner city communities, and from our seas to our street trees. I will endeavour to build on the advice of my colleague at EFTEC, Ece Ozdemiroglu, who was a member of the committee for six years.
Baroness Brown, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, said
I am delighted to welcome two new members to the committee and congratulate them on their appointment. As the need to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change becomes ever more urgent, they will help build our analysis for the fourth UK Climate Change Risk Assessment. Michael’s knowledge of the water industry and of consumer issues and Ian’s expertise in the economics of climate adaptation will be immensely valuable contributions to our upcoming advice.
Biographical details
Dr Michael Keil
Michael is Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water, the statutory consumer body for the water sector. He brings over two decades of experience across Ofwat, Severn Trent Water, and the Met Office, with a strong focus on climate change adaptation, resilience, and consumer advocacy.
Michael holds a PhD in Meteorology from the University of Reading and began his career at the Met Office, where he led the Middle Atmosphere Group and contributed to the development of climate and weather models. At Ofwat, he established the regulator’s climate change policy framework, introduced carbon accounting, and assessed over £2 billion in climate-related investment proposals.
At Severn Trent Water, Michael led the development of the company’s Climate Change Adaptation Report and spearheaded the £350 million Birmingham Resilience Scheme — one of the largest climate adaptation investments in the UK water sector. His work involved strategic planning, business case development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
At the Consumer Council for Water, Michael has championed consumer interests in climate resilience, led major affordability reviews, and launched public engagement initiatives such as the ‘Waterfall’ podcast. He has served on multiple boards and advisory panels, including the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management’s climate change panel and the MOSL Strategic Panel, and has contributed evidence to national climate risk assessments and adaptation planning under the Climate Change Act.
Mr Ian Dickie
Ian is a Director at EFTEC (Economics for the Environment Consultancy), with over 25 years of experience as an applied environmental economist. He specialises in biodiversity, natural capital accounting, and the economic appraisal of environmental policy and infrastructure.
Ian has led over £3 million of research for UK Government departments and developed more than 50 natural capital accounts for sectors including transport, water, forestry, and finance. His work has supported policy development for Defra, the Natural Capital Committee, and the Cabinet Office, and includes contributions to the 25-Year Environment Plan and the UK’s first Natural Capital Risk Assessment.
He is a member of Defra’s Biodiversity Expert Committee and has served on advisory panels for the Royal Society of Arts, the Capitals Coalition, and the Peatland Code. Ian was also a technical editor for the British Standards Institute’s Flex 701 nature markets principles standard, published in 2025.
Ian’s expertise spans ecosystem market design, biodiversity finance, and climate adaptation economics. His work includes modelling climate risk in floodplain management, valuing storm protection in the Caribbean, and integrating climate scenarios into asset valuation. He is a published author in environmental economics and has contributed to guidance used by the United Nations Development Programme, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Cabinet Office, and all UK governments.
Further information
- The Adaptation Committee of the Climate Change Committee is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body created under the Climate Change Act (2008). The Adaptation Committee is jointly sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government.
- The Board for the Adaptation Committee comprises a chairperson and six members.
- Further information on the Climate Change Committee is available at www.theccc.org.uk.