The MCS Foundation has welcomed two new trustees as the charity steps up its work to make every UK home carbon-free.  

Mary Ethna Black and Sarah Gosling have joined the board of trustees overseeing the MCS Foundation, which works to drive positive change in decarbonising homes, heat and energy.  

Mary Ethna Black, a doctor with 40 years of experience in clinical medicine and public health, joins the MCS Foundation from a background as a non-executive director in leading scientific bodies, including the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the National Centre for Earth Observation. Professor Black is also a Fellow of Chapter Zero, an association of non-executive directors committed to developing their knowledge of the implications of climate change on UK business.  

Mary Ethna Black said, “Warm and efficient homes for all without further damaging our planet are a public health necessity. MCS is my kind of organisation, as it instigates real change, is practical and has a positive outlook. I’m honoured to join the team.”  

Sarah Gosling brings governance expertise to the role at the MCS Foundation, having worked in the charity sector for over 15 years and is an experienced chief executive, trustee and charity governance specialist. She is currently a chief executive, part time, for a charitable foundation supporting two inner London schools. Alongside this she writes and runs a small business supporting charities to review their board effectiveness.   

Sarah Gosling said, “The world in which young people are now growing up is very challenging and solving the problems created by previous generations should not be left solely to them. By joining the Board at the MCS Foundation I hope to create a small impact on the issues of climate change and sustainability and leave the planet in a better position than it is now. I am about to embark on my own journey of decarbonising my home which I am trying to approach as an adventure and an opportunity.”  

Fabio Nehme, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the MCS Foundation, said, “The MCS Foundation, including our wholly owned subsidiary entity MCS Certified, has grown tremendously in the last few years in the scale of our operations, the reach of our collaboration with government, private sector and civil society and the impact we have on the public debate about UK’s decarbonisation. We expect this trajectory to continue, and therefore, it is important to continuously strengthen our board to ensure it is fit for purpose. For that reason, we are delighted to have Sarah and Mary joining MCS. The depth and breadth of their experience will be invaluable to help guide the MCS Foundation in the years ahead.”  

The MCS Foundation is working on a raft of measures to catalyse change to meet the challenge of retrofitting homes to meet climate change targets. Among the objectives of the Foundation are Government legislation requiring all new homes to have solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage built in; action to reduce the price of electricity, thus incentivising heat pump uptake while cutting bills for households; new green finance products that could unlock households’ ability to retrofit their own homes; and clear, accessible and accurate advice on how homeowners can decarbonise their house and save money on their bills.