The Future Leaders programme has been set up to help the leaders of today prepare the leaders of tomorrow to achieve and maintain net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The programme recognises that without effective, purpose-driven leadership from climate-focussed individuals, this ambitious target is unachievable.
UKAS is equally conscious that, as an organisation, it is necessary for the UK’s National Accreditation Body to equip our future leaders with the knowledge and mindset to prioritise a sustainable approach. As we continue to work to reduce our own carbon emissions and broaden our programmes of accreditation to further facilitate the accreditation of activities that will help the UK on its journey to meet net zero, our eyes are also on the future.
With this objective in mind, UKAS has put forward Emily Robinson (Team Leader, Development and Technical, Quality & Risk) to participate in the programme.
Emily began with the Foundation phase of Future Leaders in May 2021, which consisted of virtual interactive modules delivered over nine weeks. Foundation stage included mentoring sessions with experienced leaders in a range of sectors.
Having completed the first stage, Emily moved onto the Application stage, which involved group work where she was able to meet with and exchange ideas with other Future Leaders delegates. These meetings took place online weekly and one day a month was also spent on live, in-person meetings. The Application stage has recently culminated in the delivery of a presentation of a fully realised concept with tangible, practical applications – all with sustainability in mind.
This concept, which was developed collaboratively with the entire group, will now be followed by the final ‘Aspiration’ stage of the Future Leaders programme, that will see Emily join a network of leaders for further exchange of ideas and mutual support.
Speaking of her place on the Future Leaders programme, Emily commented “I have really enjoyed my experience with Future Leaders, and it feels fantastic to be able to contribute to a project that we believe will have a meaningful impact on climate change. My favourite aspect of the programme has been the group work. I have met lots of really interesting people with different backgrounds and specialisms, and it feels like we will be able to combine these skillsets and produce something of genuine value.”
UKAS is very happy to have been able to put Emily through the Future Leaders programme, both in terms of her own development and as a way of path-finding a sustainable future for the UK’s National Accreditation Body.