Professor Nigel Arnell has been the Director of the Walker Institute for Climate Systems Research at the University of Reading since August 2007. Prior to taking up this post, he was head of Geography at the University of Southampton. He has been involved in climate change research since the late 1980s, with a particular focus on hydrology and water resources, and was involved in the second, third and fourth IPCC reports. He is currently leading the NERC QUEST-GSI project examining the global-scale impacts of climate change.

Chris Dodwell has been head of Defra’s international climate change division since June 2006. The Division’s responsibilities include: coordination of UK cross-Whitehall work on international climate change; representing the UK in climate change negotiations under the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol; policy development on the post-2012 climate change regime including the development of the global carbon market; and multilateral and bilateral projects to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies (including the Near Zero Emissions Coal project with China.

Kirsty Hamilton is currently working on retainer to the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UK BCSE), as an international policy consultant. Based in London since 2002, following 12 years outside the UK involved in the climate policy arena as an observer, in the UNFCCC negotiations. Currently on the Advisory Board of UNEP Finance Initiative’s Climate Change work, and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs).

Isabel Hilton is a distinguished writer and broadcaster, an expert on foreign affairs and a presenter of Radio 3's Night Waves. She has an MA (hons) in Chinese from Edinburgh University and, after two years postgraduate work in Edinburgh, studied in China for two years, first at the Beijing Foreign Language and Culture University and then at Fudan University in Shanghai. She has authored and co-authored several books and holds an honorary doctorate from Bradford University. She is editor of chinadialogue.net

Adam Lent was appointed Head of the Economic and Social Affairs Department (ESAD) in August 2006. The Department undertakes research and develops policy in a wide range of areas including: public services, environment, transport, corporate governance, manufacturing, quality of work, macro-economic policy, public spending, vulnerable employment, the labour market, working time, minimum wage and pensions. ESAD works closely with many partners on these areas including trade unions, government departments and agencies, employers, NGOs, parliamentarians and journalists.
Before joining the TUC as Head of ESAD, Adam was Research Director for the Power Inquiry, a Rowntree funded commission exploring how to increase and deepen political participation in the UK. Prior to that he worked as a freelance researcher, directing major projects for the Fabian Society and the New Local Government Network. Between 1996 and 2001, he was a lecturer and research fellow at the Department of Politics, Sheffield University following the completion of his PhD.
Adam has written widely and contributed to radio and television broadcasts on many topics including public service reform, globalisation, political participation, and collective action.

Niki Mardas is Campaigns Coordinator for the Global Canopy Programme, an alliance of 29 scientific institutions in 19 countries, which lead the world
in forest canopy research. He runs the organisation's policy programme, bringing the latest science on forest ecosystem services to Governments and
opinion formers. Last year he helped focus world attention on forests and climate change through the Forests Now Declaration, signed by over 300 high
level endorsers and delivered to Governments at December's climate change conference in Bali. More recently he helped launch Canopy Capital, a
pioneering and widely-reported initiative to recruit investment capital for forest conservation.

For 10 years, Niki acted as communications adviser to 'Religion, Science and Environment', a global initiative led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
Head of the Orthodox Church. He was joint Coordinator of its 2006 Brazilian Symposium on forests and climate change which took 200 faith leaders,
scientists, politicians, and international journalists on a ten-day journey up the Amazon. In a former life, Niki was founding partner and Creative
Director to one of the world's largest mobile services companies.

Cllr Ian Mearns is Vice-Chair of the LGA Environment Board, 
and a Labour councillor from Gateshead.

Malini Mehra is founder & CEO of the Centre for Social Markets (India/ UK). CSM has pioneered work on CSR and sustainability since 2000. CSM’s ‘Climate Challenge India’ campaign - the first of its kind in India – was recognized as one of the world’s top five climate campaigns in 2007 and profiled at Bali. It is driving a new vision on climate change in India and building new coalitions in the region, Europe and the US. A political scientist and gender specialist by training (Smith College, USA; IDS, Sussex), Malini has been featured on the BBC, CNN, TIME and Fortune. Named an Asia 21 Young Leader, she belongs to a number of international fellowships and brings more than 20 years of experience with NGOs, government, business, academia and inter-governmental organizations – including the UN and Kyoto, where she led the input of FoE International. From 2005-6, she was at the UK Govt where she led on international SD partnerships and was the architect of the ‘Sustainable Development Dialogues’ with emerging markets. Prior to this she had served as adviser to Kofi Annan on his ‘High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations’. Malini now advises non-profits and corporates including UNILEVER, BHP Billiton and Fortis. An Indian citizen, she speaks six languages and splits her time between India and the UK.

Professor Mitchell is a member of the Met Office Executive and Met Office Board. He is accountable to the Chief Executive for providing the leadership of the Met Offices Science and Technology, ensuring the quality of Met Office research and scientific integrity of Met Office products, and seeing that Met Offices science and technology is focused to its customers needs.

Professor Mitchell joined the Met Office in 1973 after completing a PhD in atomic physics in Belfast. His research has focused on the understanding and prediction of climate changes. This research, in particular, has specialised in identifying the uncertainty in cloud climate feedbacks, and the attribution of recent climate change to human activity.

A former BBC staffer, Andrew Pendleton worked his way up within the corporation to become Jimmy Young’s right hand man on the eponymous Jimmy Young programme. But there was a calm, quiet voice that spoke to Andrew of injustice. Finally, Andrew listened and came to work for Christian Aid working first as a campaigns specialist and then as a senior policy officer where he helped develop Christian Aid’s trade justice campaign.