Peter Betts

Associate Fellow, Environment and Society Centre

Biography

Peter Betts became an associate fellow of Chatham House in November 2018. Before joining, he was a UK civil servant for nearly 35 years, working in a wide range of government departments.

From 2008 until 2018 he was the director responsible for international climate policy, leading on the UNFCCC negotiations (where he was EU lead negotiator for six years up to 2016) and bilateral engagement, and was responsible for an official development assistance programme worth around £3bn.

From 2016 he was also responsible for international energy.

Past experience

2018 Consultant
2015-18 Director, international climate and energy, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
2008-15 Director, international climate change, Department of Energy and Climate Change
2006-08 Director, fire and resilience, Department of Communities and Local Government
2005-06 Director, regional policy, Department of Communities and Local Government
2004-05 Principal private secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
2001-04 Head, pensions and savings team, HM Treasury
1991-92 Diploma in international public admin, Ecole Nationale d’Administration
1978-82 BA History, Mansfield College Oxford