The Right Honourable Claire Perry O’Neill was the United Kingdom Climate Change, Energy and Clean Growth Minister in the Theresa May government.

Ms Perry O’Neill is a globally recognised expert on sustainability and decarbonisation, and the transition to renewable energy with a particular focus on practical action and the leading role of the private sector.

As Minister, Ms Perry O’Neill was a true pioneer in addressing the issue of addressing climate change through clean energy public policy with notable achievements such as:

1. Implementing the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy
2. Negotiating the UK’s Offshore Wind Sector Deal
3. Forming the Green Finance Taskforce
4. Launching the global Powering Past Coal Alliance to end coal-powered electricity generation
5. Putting forward the ground-breaking legislation that committed the UK to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050.

Ms Perry O’Neill also formulated the UK’s successful bid to host the United Nations 2020 Climate Change Conference (COP26), of which she served as President-Designate until retiring from politics in 2020.

Ms Perry O’Neill also co-chairs the Global Imperatives Advisory Board for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and serves as a Director for Climate Impact X.

She is in Australia in her capacity as a member of revolutionary green hydrogen electrolyser developer Hysata’s Global Advisory Council.

Varya leads PwC Australia's new Energy Transition business, focused on helping our clients accelerate through the energy transition and related ESG priorities as Australia moves to a net zero economy. She is passionate about supporting Executive teams to translate intent into meaningful impact. Varya has spent much of her career working with upstream oil and gas players, as well as in mining and utilities, including most recently leading the Energy, Utilities and Resources Consulting business for PwC Australia.

With the complexity of the industry transformation challenges ahead as well as the economic opportunities Varya draws on her years of strategy consulting experience as well as her prior global Culture, Leadership and Change and Digital Operations leadership roles.

Varya is a Strategy& partner and has been consulting for over 25 years with leading public and private sector organisations across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Varya brings a depth of hands-on experience from her leadership of enterprise wide transformation programs in large, complex and often industrially sensitive situations. She has led one of the largest public sector reforms in Australia and driven productivity transformations for utilities and miners on the east and west coast.

Varya’s passion is making sustainable change happen by working with people and organisation dynamics, in particular using culture to mitigate business continuity risks and accelerate value realisation. After 11 years based in London, she returned with her family to Australia and is now living in Sydney.

Varya holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Physics, and a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours, both from the University of Sydney. She completed her MBA at INSEAD in 1999.

Since joining the Veolia Group in 1994 as an environmental engineer, Richard has held a number of senior commercial, operational and technical positions in Europe and the UK & Ireland. Driving strategic development in Material & Energy Sales, Planning, Construction, Fleet and External Affairs, as well as commissioning key recycling and Energy Recovery Facilities, he was key in developing technology and innovation for the regions.

Joining Veolia Australia and New Zealand in 2020 as CEO and Managing Director, Richard is now focused on delivering ecological transformation through Veolia’s ANZ water, waste and energy activities. He is a passionate advocate for preserving and replenishing resources and is pivoting the organisation to be a trusted partner for complex infrastructure, whilst influencing policy as an authoritative voice on the challenges surrounding the environmental sector.

Richard believes that delivering a sustainable future is about people, customers and teams working together.