Roger Harrabin
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Former BBC Energy and Environment Analyst
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One of the media’s most influential voices on the environment and climate change
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Founding presenter of BBC Radio 4's environment magazine, Costing the Earth
Roger Harrabin is one of the media’s most influential voices on the environment, energy and climate change. He is Energy and Environment Analyst for the BBC, and has broadcast on environmental issues since the 1980s. He was founder presenter of the BBC environment programme Costing the Earth and has won many awards for his work in radio and TV.
Roger’s quest for impartiality led him to broadcast two three-part series on Radio 4 tackling the risks and uncertainties in climate science and technology. His reporting on new topics has often been trendsetting, such as when he was the first mainstream reporter to highlight the central role that energy would play in the environment.
He studied English at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and began his journalism career in print before joining the BBC, reporting for programmes including Panorama, The World At One, The Ten O’Clock News and Radio 4’s Today.
In his career he has interviewed many influential figures including Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Ban Ki Moon, Al Gore and Sir David Attenborough.
The role of Environment Analyst was created for him in 2004 to allow Roger to work across all BBC media platforms (television, radio and online) as a journalist and presenter. His reporting often involves risk issues and, during a sabbatical at Green College (now Green Templeton College), he produced a King’s Fund paper called Health in the News which analysed how many people needed to experience a health problem for it to make national news.
Roger’s achievements have been widely recognised. He is a Visiting Fellow at Oxford and Cambridge universities, and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science.
Roger Harrabin is a highly experienced conference chair and moderator, having facilitated events across a range of topics. His challenging and humorous style, as well as his depth of knowledge, makes him a popular choice.
He is also a sought-after keynote speaker on environmental issues and climate change. Over his career he has traced the growing influence of environmental issues on domestic and international politics, and on business and society. His many fascinating and often hilarious stories work equally well speaking after dinner as during the day.
Speaking clips
Speaking clips
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Roger was a great host for the environmentally focused day of Yorkshire Water’s conference on Social Value Through The Six Capitals. Roger bought his years of experience and knowledge to the way he chaired and facilitated the event, gently probing presenters with relevant follow up questions that helped bring out a deeper insight and clarity. Roger was also agile to our needs through the event and bought ‘up to the moment’ topical content.
Roger came to speak at the 2019 RISING Global Peace Forum in Coventry about how the climate change emergency and other environmental issues have severe consequences for peace in many parts of the world. Roger was brilliant to work with, both beforehand and during the event, when he was a huge inspiration to our delegates.
Roger is very adept at explaining complicated issues facing our environment. I have known him for a number of years as the BBC Environment Correspondent during which he chaired a number of my Castle Debates on the environment. The Debates have been enthusiastically attended by audiences very keen to understand the intricacies of environmental, law and science and Roger has been both able to hold the audience and keep their attention and to entertain them at the same time. I very much value working with him.
Roger Harrabin is our moderator of choice. He brings a depth of knowledge to our discussion panels and combines this with an instinctive grasp of what makes a session engaging. Roger brings an energy and spontaneity to the panels he is engaged with and contextualises the discussions within broader societal trends. Best of all, he ensures that the panellists engage with the questions the audience really want answered. He is challenging and highly entertaining. Audiences love him.
Great to meet you today and really enjoyed the chaired session on the sustainability resilience and adaptation. What really came across was your passion for the truth and getting the action and keeping people on the panel to point and backing up their words with examples. It’s a great opportunity to spread this message more broadly and hope we can find a way.
Roger has chaired a number of events at The Economist, including the annual Energy Summit, and is always superb - informed, engaging and entertaining. The audience loves him.
Roger has chaired two panels us at the British Science Festival and has done an excellent job on both occasions of combining genuine insight and knowledge with effective Chairmanship. He is provocative in the best sense, encouraging debate and engagement while maintaining a fun atmosphere for both panellists and audience alike.
Knowledgeable and skilful facilitator of high-profile speakers’ panel and subsequent audience participation. Excellent chairperson.
How to book Roger Harrabin for your event
To book Roger Harrabin, please submit an online enquiry to booking.agent@nmp.co.uk or contact one of our booking agents on +44 (0)20 3822 0003.
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