Meet the team

Get to know the team behind Scotland’s leading public-sector sustainability network

Secretariat Team Steering Group Sub Committees

Meet the Steering Group

The Steering Group provides a senior-level, trusted space for public sector practitioners and decision-makers to engage directly with the Scottish Government, to work with peers from across the public sector, and to steer the development of SSN.

Steering Group members are appointed from the wider SSN membership, with a Chair and Vice Chair agreed by the Steering Group members.

A number of strategic partners are Steering Group Observers. This includes the Scottish Government, COSLA, SOLACE Scotland, ECCI, EAUC-Scotland, Verture (representing the Adaptation Scotland programme),the Imporvement Service (also representing the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service), and the 2050 Climate Group.

The Steering Group acts as the principal leadership group for SSN, providing advice and support to the SSN Secretariat. It also offers a valuable opportunity for public sector sustainability and climate change champions to engage at national level in a range of initiatives.

The SSN Steering Group has four main roles:

  • Strategic leadership – providing a challenge function to the secretariat, ensuring outcomes and impacts are achieved, in line with agreed plans;
  • Influencing – influencing decision-making in the public, private and third sectors, and providing a link to leadership;
  • Championing SSN – using the SSN narrative to raise SSN’s profile, promote the SSN and inspire change; and
  • Representing the membership – reflecting the interests of Network member groups and sectors; providing contacts and networks that add value to SSN.

The Steering Group elects an SSN Chair and Vice Chair who play a lead role in working with the secretariat and the Scottish Government to develop, implement, monitor, and review SSN. This includes the role and impact of the SSN Steering Group and the secretariat, as well as the SSN programme. Our current Chair is John Wincott and the Vice Chair is Mark Williams.

John Wincott
Chair
John has a passion for sustainability, and a wealth of experience in the public sector including local government and further education. Until recently John’s role was as Environmental Services Coordinator at Fife College where he led the college in tackling the challenges around sustainability and climate change. John is undertaking PhD research in the use of Judicial Review in Climate Change litigation, and decided last year to take a break from Fife College to concentrate on his research. John has also served on the Office Bearers’ Group of the Environmental Association for Universities and College, and is the current Chair of Fife Environmental Partnership.
Mark Williams
Vice Chair
Dr Mark Williams is Head of Environmental Science and Regulation at Scottish Water and the UKWIR Programme Lead for Climate Change. Mark followed an academic research career in marine biology and chemical ecology at the universities of Cardiff and St. Andrews before joining Scottish Water to work in environmental and regulatory management. At Scottish Water, Mark contributes to the development of long-term strategy and vision for the company as well as establishing carbon management strategies and plans. “My ambition for SSN is to engage the Scottish public sector in understanding their role and the actions they can take. I am keen to support the sector in taking practical steps to implement actions that will support One Planet Prosperity. I want to support SSN to be valued as a source of stimulating and challenging information and provocation, but also as a source of practical advice and shared learning.
Ruth Gill
Director of Public Programmes and Sustainability Lead, National Museums Scotland
Ruth has had a long career in the museum and heritage sector. Currently, she leads public engagement and content generation for over 3 million visits each year at National Museums Scotland. She also leads the organisation’s sustainable development work, planning the organisation’s journey to net zero. Holding the responsibility of Project Director, she delivered the £80m Masterplan for the National Museum of Scotland from 2013 to its completion in 2019. She is a Practitioner member of IEMA working towards Chartered Environmentalist accreditation, and joined the SSN Steering Group in December 2023. “I work with exceptionally committed, knowledgeable and professional colleagues on the SSN Steering Group. SSN’s work is of urgent importance at this time – needed now more than ever – helping to support the partnership between Scottish Government and its Public Bodies. It is a privilege to contribute to these critical environmental and sustainability discourses.”
Andy Dick
Get to Zero Manager, East Renfrewshire Council
Andy joined East Renfrewshire Council in October 2021 as Get to Zero Manager. In this role, Andy leads the plan for the Council and the community to achieve net zero and adapt to climate change. Prior to joining the Council, Andy held several roles with Zero Waste Scotland, including managing the recycling programme with local government, writing the corporate plan, and delivering support for national government policy initiatives such as the Circular Economy Bill and the waste targets route map. He is a Chartered Environmentalist and a member of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and the Institute of Leadership and Management. He became a Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) steering group member in May 2023 and has been a Director of ApparelXchange CIC since 2022.
Jen Cassells
Police Scotland
Jen is an environmental professional who has worked in the public and private sector in range of roles over the past 20 years. This included provision of consultancy support to the SSN. She is currently National Sustainability Lead for Police Scotland. Jen was appointed to the SSN Steering Group in June 2024 to represent blue light services.
Claire Ferguson
Team Leader – Climate Change Strategy, Shetlands Islands Council
Claire is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and has previously led on the services design engineering for a number of building types including offices, swimming pool, theatre and higher education buildings.  Since joining Shetland Islands Council in 2021, she has led the Climate Change Strategy team in the development of the SIC Net Zero Route Map, the Shetland Net Zero Route Map and the SIC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which sits across the council and has wider influence across Shetland. This has included community engagement, raising awareness and partnership working.  Examples include the Shetland Climate Conversation and the establishment of the Shetland Climate Change Steering Group; a group made up of The Shetland Partnership organisations tasked with developing the Shetland Climate Change Strategy allowing organisations to collaborate more easily and accelerate action in working towards joint goals.
Louise Ross
Carbon and Sustainability Analyst
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Claudia Cowie
Team Leader – Sustainability and Climate Change
Claudia is the Team Leader for Sustainability and Climate Change at Aberdeenshire Council. Claudia leads in the development and delivery of Council-wide plans for Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Claudia and her team are responsible for implementing Climate Change policy, coordinating the Carbon Budget, Route Map Action Plan and LHEES. Her role within the organisation has grown as the Council’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions has become a priority. Prior to joining Aberdeenshire Council, Claudia spent many years as a science teacher in the USA. Throughout her career, Claudia has worked in a variety of roles across the public, private and third sector. Claudia has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, both focussed on environmental sciences. “I am very excited for the opportunity to be an ambassador for SSN. SSN has been pivotal in supporting me in my role at Aberdeenshire Council and continues to be an important source of support. SSN offers an excellent space to share ideas, ask for advice, and be connected to others working in similar roles across the Public Bodies.”
Lorna Jarvie
Co-ordinator Sustainability
Lorna has been working in a variety of roles in local authorities since 2003, initially within Roads and Transportation and then Sustainability, with her remit now taking in a range of areas including sustainability, climate change, biodiversity, SEA, and a parks strategy function which covers open space, allotments, play areas, reservoirs and park rangers. Most recently Lorna’s role has expanded to also include Fleet Services. She has an MA in Geography, an MSc in Sustainable Rural Development, a PGDip in Leadership and Management of Public Services and is a Member of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation. Lorna has worked on a range of policies and strategies over the years as well as practical delivery of projects. Her current work at South Ayrshire Council includes the implementation of the council’s first Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy and duties reporting. Joining SSN in 2006 and a former steering group member, Lorna hopes her experience to date can bring a useful further perspective to discussions.
Sam Foster
Net Zero Manager at NatureScot
Sam is Net Zero Manager at NatureScot and leads its approach to reducing GHG emissions from the organisation’s activities. This role expands the remit from a focus on mitigation actions to include both adaptation measures and nature recovery work. Sam is a former architect and has worked across the UK on low impact, energy efficient and non-toxic building projects that address climate change and public health. He sits on the steering group of the Sustainable Scotland Network and is a member of the Environmental Managers Forum.
Amy Ritchie
Head of Sustainable Resources and Social Responsibility
Amy is a sustainability & low carbon energy specialist with wide ranging experience across the private, regulated and higher education sectors. Prior to joining Strathclyde as Head of Sustainable Resources & Social Responsibility in early 2023, Amy spent time developing and influencing heat network policy whilst working at the Association for Decentralised Energy, and embedding credible approaches to deliver a just transition through Ofgem’s RIIO Framework for the energy networks sector. In her current role, Amy is responsible for delivering on the University’s of Strathclyde’s Net Zero target, through decarbonisation of all University operations and practices. She works with colleagues from across the University and beyond to ensure that social, environmental and financial sustainability ambitions are realised across the institution and wider Glasgow region.
Gemma Stenhouse
Climate Change Manager
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Ross Spalding
Service Manager, Climate Change and Zero Waste
Ross is the Service Manager of the Climate Change & Zero Waste Team at Fife Council. His role focusses on leading and co-ordinating Fife Council’s response to the Climate Emergency. This currently includes development of Fife’s environmental strategies: Climate Fife, Zero Waste Fife, Fife’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Food4Fife. Developing and supporting programmes and projects and monitoring and reporting performance. He manages Fife’s partnership approach to climate action including Fife’s Community Planning outcome on “Addressing the Climate Emergency”, regional collaboration including Climate Ready South East Scotland, and national initiatives including Scottish Climate Intelligence Service. Prior to his current role, Ross has work in the various sustainability roles in the public sector. Starting his career in biodiversity surveying and information analysis before working on sustainability and environmental strategy and audit, carbon impact assessment and zero waste and energy programmes. A member of SSN almost since it’s inception, Ross is keen to ensure its continued work in supporting sustainability professionals at all stages of their career.
Joanna Teuton
Health Improvement Manager – Climate
Joanna is a public health practitioner working at the interface between population health and climate change. In her current role as Health Improvement Manger for Public Health Scotland, she co-leads a programme of work integrating health and health inequality considerations into climate policy and implementation. This work uses public health evidence, approaches and tools at a national, regional and local level to enable cross-sectoral climate plans and action to minimises health harms and maximises health and equity co-benefits. “I am passionate about ensuring that climate action goes beyond environmental outcomes—protecting and improving population health, tackling health inequity, and creating healthier, fairer places for us to live, work and play in”. Previously Joanna worked as a Public Health Intelligence Adviser supporting the development of evidence-informed policy across a wide range of public health issues including mental health and reproductive health as well as working internationally on psychosocial issues in Asia and Africa. She has worked in the NHS as a clinical psychologist and has a PhD in Cross Cultural Mental Health. “As a public sector employee working at the interface between climate change, population health and equity, SSN provides an exciting opportunity to collaborate to create places and communities that are low carbon, climate resilient, healthy and equitable.”
Emma Yule
2050 Climate Group
Emma is a PhD researcher and tutor at Edinburgh University focused on extreme climate events and climate adaptation in Scotland. Emma tutors on the Carbon Management Masters and is an ECCI Associate. She also runs workshops and presents on adaptation for the public sector and in local communities. She is co-chair of the Adaptation Community of Practice at Edinburgh University and is a Trustee at Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN). She is chair of the Leaders Network at 2050 Climate Group. Emma was listed on the Scottish Power COP26 Green Power List for her climate action work.

Others who attend include:

Representatives from COSLA, Scottish Government, EAUC-Scotland and SOLACE.