The Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Association, and Commonwealth Human Ecology Council will jointly host the annual Patsy Robertson Memorial Lecture with The Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma KCMG on Climate Action, International Leadership and the Commonwealth: Driving Impact Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31).
Guest of Honour
In 2020, Lord Sharma was appointed President Designate of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), alongside his role as Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. In 2021, he took on the COP26 role full-time, leading the UK’s work in bringing together the world to tackle climate change and getting almost 200 countries to sign up to the historic Glasgow Climate Pact. Lord Sharma was knighted in His Majesty King Charles III’s New Year’s Honours for his services to tackling climate change.
Lord Sharma served in a range of UK government ministerial roles and served as a UK Member of Parliament for 14 years (2010-2024), subsequently elevated to the House of Lords. He currently serves as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford and is Co-Chair of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Climate Advisory Council.
Patsy Roberson Memorial Lecture
The annual lecture was established in 2021 to honour the legacy of a distinguished Commonwealth staffer and former Director of the Information Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat, widely recognised as a leading voice of the modern Commonwealth and a tireless advocate for justice, including during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
Lord Sharma will be introduced by Amb. Tanmaya Lal, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Programmes.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
