Cutting the Carbon

cuttingthecarbon was set up by Alexis Rowell after he discovered that man-made climate change meant the North Pole was going to disappear in his lifetime. Alexis's first career was as a BBC journalist from 1989 to 1998, mostly reporting on the consequences of the fall of the Berlin Wall. After completing an MBA at INSEAD in 1999, and spending seven years working in business development for technology companies, his concern about climate change led him to seek election in 2006 as a councillor in the London Borough of Camden. He was appointed Camden Eco Champion and Chair of the council's all-party Sustainability Task Force.

In his four years as a local councillor Alexis made environmental issues a core concern of Camden Council. More than 100 recommendations from the Task Force subsequently became council policy and formed the core of its new Sustainability Delivery Plan. He also led the transformation of Camden's Development Control Committee (Planning) such that sustainability became a key concern of planners. In February 2010 Alexis won "Sustainability Councillor of the Year" at the national LGIU Councillor Awards.

Since stepping down from the council in May 2010 Alexis has worked part-time as Councils Coordinator for the 10:10 Campaign and has persuaded more than 160 councils (responsible for services to 27m UK residents) to reduce their emissions by 10% in 2010. He is also working on a book called "Communities, councils and carbon - what we can do if governments won't" which is due out in October 2010.  

In his spare time Alexis helps to run Transition Belsize and the Camden Climate Action Network (CamdenCAN), grows food on his balconies and in his landlord's front garden, and writes an eco-political blog: www.alexisrowell.blogspot.com. Alexis has a variety of post-graduate diplomas in journalism, an MBA from INSEAD business school in France and an MSc in Food Policy from City University, London.