Friends of the Earth appoints Make Poverty History creator as executive director

Friends of the Earth has appointed Tearfund campaigns director Andy Atkins as executive director. Atkins will join the charity in late June and will replace outgoing executive director Tony Juniper later in the summer.

Atkins, who was part of that group that created the high-profile Make Poverty History campaign in 2005, has been at relief development agency for seven years. Under his leadership, the charity also became the first major UK development non-government organisation to campaign on climate change as a poverty issue.

Atkins says: “The need to combat climate change and reverse the loss of the world’s biodiversity has never been greater. We must continue to transform political priorities and public attitudes to the environment.”

Juniper announced his departure earlier this year. He has worked at the charity for 18 years, spending six years as executive director. Atkins is also a board member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, where he works alongside Juniper.