Joan Ruddock

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change

Responsibilities

Joan Ruddock is responsible for delivering a low carbon economy and ensuring secure and affordable energy supply – with a focus on energy consumers.

Taking forward the Government’s fuel poverty policy and specifically, delivering the PM’s fuel bills initiative
Energy savings (in the residential sector)
Carbon Reduction Commitment
Behaviour change and the ACT ON CO2 campaign
Climate Change Agreements
Supporting the Secretary of State on international negotiations on climate change and in promoting national debate in the run up to Copenhagen.

She is also responsible for working with other Government departments to support the climate change/energy agenda.

Biography

As a backbench MP, Joan Ruddock was a prominent environmental campaigner for many years. Soon after arriving in Parliament, as the MP for Lewisham Deptford, she proposed a private members bill on flytipping that became the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.

In 2002 she introduced another private members bill designed to increase doorstop recycling, which became the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003.

A graduate of Imperial College, Joan Ruddock was also Vice-Chair of Globe International and a Vice-Chair of PRASEG (Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group). She became Minister of Climate Change, Waste and Biodiversity in June 2007, before joining DECC in 2008.