Speakers

First elected in 2014 Martin is currently the longest-serving Green of 34 on Bristol City Council.
As a council officer he promoted local sustainability and partnership working when setting up the Sustainable City Team in the 90s. He developed a sustainable development guide for construction and worked at local, national and European level on policies for sustainable cities. He has consistently linked cross cutting issues, ensuring strategies connect social, economic and environmental issues.
He was the Local Government Association’s first climate change and energy adviser in the late 90s pressing for recognition of local authorities’ role, before working as senior policy adviser at the Environment Agency for England and Wales, developing policies on renewable energy and adaptation linked to nature based solutions and then led the Agency’s work with the construction sector.
Since 2024 he has been chair of the city’s new cross party Environment and Sustainability Committee, leading on climate, ecology, waste and energy policies. The committee leads on the council’s successful decarbonisation initiatives, clean energy generation, waste and recycling, and is responsible for the council’s action plans on climate and nature. He is also co-chair of the Bristol One City Environment Board working with strategic city partners.