NEW David Kennedy

David Kennedy was the government’s director general for food and environment from 2017 to 2023

Former Defra director general and current EY partner David Kennedy has been appointed as the new CEO for the Science Based Targets initiative.

Kennedy will start his new role at the corporate climate action organisation – a collaboration between the CDP, the United Nations, the World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature that helps companies and financial institutions set science-based targets in line with the latest climate science – in the second quarter of this year.

He joins SBTi at a time of rapid expansion, with around 40% of global market cap companies now having validated SBTi targets or commitments to set targets.

As of 2024, nearly 10,000 companies – including many fmcg and retail giants – had science-based climate targets validated by SBTi.

Following an “extensive, competitive global recruitment process”, the SBTi announced Kennedy would succeed Sue Jenny Ehr, who has been serving as interim CEO.

In the coming months, he will step down from his current position as a partner at EY, where he led work on net zero strategy and planning for international and national businesses across banking, food, infrastructure and manufacturing.

Read more: IGD’s new plan for net zero targets in 2030 and beyond

Most recently, he spearheaded the launch of the highly-publicised IGD, EY and Wrap food systems transformation initiative to help the UK food industry come together to reach its net zero targets.

Kennedy was a key figure in bringing different sectors of the industry together, from farming to retail and manufacturing, to agree on specific measures to lower carbon emissions, including proposals to slash meat and dairy consumption, and transition to a more sustainable food production system.

He was previously director general of food, biosecurity & trade at Defra for nearly seven years until September 2023, where he led on food strategy, including net zero and nature, food security, and farming reform, as well as transforming the department’s ways of working.

Kennedy was also the founding CEO of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC). Under his leadership, the CCC designed sector pathways, carbon budgets, targets, metrics, milestones, and key policies for the UK’s net zero transition.

Read more: Defra director David Kennedy to leave for private sector role

Sharing his SBTi appointment on his LinkedIn page, he wrote: “This is the perfect job for me: I’ve spent much of my career working on energy, climate change and sustainability with governments and the private sector.

“I admire the impact that SBTi has had catalysing action by thousands of companies around the world: it is an organisation that really matters.

“I’m excited to work with the team and partners to advance the mission of the SBTi and deliver even more change at scale, supporting business to make its contribution to the global climate objective in the next crucial period.”

He also thanked EY for “me the opportunity to be a partner and supporting me as I moved to a very different environment”.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here, largely because of the people, who are mission driven, highly competent across a wide range of skills and collaborative”, he added. “We’ve done really good work on transition planning and I’m particularly proud of the food system net zero plan published recently by IGD.

“I’ll miss my team but I leave them in good shape and am confident they will continue to build an outstanding transition planning business.”

Read more: Aldi net zero goals validated by Science Based Targets initiative

The SBTi said in a statement that Kennedy was to lead the organisation as it “evolves to support a wider range of companies around the world, ensuring it has the appropriate structures and technical capacity to deliver its ambitious workplan”.

SBTi chair Francesco Starace added: “We are extremely excited to welcome David to the SBTi as our new CEO. He has extensive leadership in climate action, a track record of working with both the public and private sector, exceptional strategic capabilities and proven operational effectiveness.

“David is a true pioneer with unrivalled qualifications. The board unanimously approved the nomination committee’s proposal for David’s appointment and is confident that he will help the SBTi’s continued global growth as the SBTi continues to build capacity to ensure that businesses have the confidence and practical tools to decarbonise.”

Kennedy is expected to start in early Q2, with the specific date subject to agreement with EY.