A passionate advocate of climate, and energy research and development, Sir David King is the Foreign Secretary Special Representative for Climate Change for the United Kingdom.

King was previously the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, during which time he raised awareness of the need for governments to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the Energy Technologies Institute.

As Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, he created an in-depth horizon scanning process, which advised government on a wide range of long-term issues, from flooding to obesity through the Foresight Program.

He raised public awareness for climate change and highlighted the need for government action. He initiated £1 billion Energy Technology Institute.

In addition to his major effort on climate change, King has also been involved, in particular, in: reinvigorating the international fusion programme (ITER); creating a new developing community overseas PhD students programme for the UK, the Dorothy Hodgkin Awards; designing and implementing a new British S&T foresight programme; overseeing the quality and timeliness of science advice across the UK government; and in the provision of advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

King has published over 500 papers on science and policy, including a book he co-authored with Gabrielle Walker – The Hot Topic: how to tackle global warming and still keep the lights on, for which he has received numerous awards. He holds 23 Honorary Degrees from universities around the world.

Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1991, a Foreign Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002, and knighted in 2003, King was also made an Officer of the French Legion d’Honneur in 2009, for work, which has contributed to responding to the climate and energy challenge.

Sir David A. King

Special Representative for Climate Change, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary

• Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Government (2000-2007)
• Chancellor, the University of Liverpool
• Director, Research, Department of Chemistry, Cambridge University
• The Knight Bachelor (2003)