Claire O'Neill

Claire O'Neill began her political journey in 2007, following a cross-Atlantic career in consulting and finance. She first took the role of policy advisor to George Osborne, the then Shadow Chancellor, and then served as the Conservative MP for the Devizes Constituency from 2010 to 2019. During this time, O'Neill held various ministerial positions before stepping into the role of Climate Change Minister and, subsequently, Minister for Energy and Clean Growth in the UK Cabinet.

O'Neill was instrumental in shaping the UK’s environmental strategy. She conceived and implemented the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy, formed the Powering Past Coal Alliance with Canada, and was pivotal in developing the UK’s Green Finance Taskforce. O'Neill also negotiated the world’s first public-private Offshore Wind Sector Deal, which significantly lowered the cost of this critical renewable energy source. In 2019, O'Neill put forth the UK’s Net Zero legislation, a groundbreaking act that committed the UK to become a Net Zero emissions economy by 2050. Furthermore, she formulated and led the UK’s successful bid to host the United Nations 2020 Climate Change Conference, COP26, and served as its first President-Designate.

After leaving politics in 2020, O'Neill transitioned into various influential roles in the private sector. She now co-chairs the Global Imperatives Advisory Board for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and serves as a main Board Director for Occidental Petroleum, the Singapore Stock Exchange, and Windward AI. She maintains a role in the climate sector as the Board Chair for Climate Impact X. Her influence extends into the consultancy sector as a Senior Global Advisor for McKinsey and Company. Additionally, O'Neill invests in and advises several low-carbon technology companies as part of her global portfolio.

O'Neill is a member of the UK Privy Council, a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and the UK Energy Institute. She also holds a Business Fellow position at the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at Oxford University. O'Neill hails from Somerset, UK, and completed her Geography studies at Brasenose College Oxford, followed by an MBA at Harvard Business School. She is a mother of three, married to Professor Bill O'Neill of Cambridge University, and enjoys cycling and beekeeping in her free time.