Climate champions power list

Pia Honey – founder, No Floor No More

 

Pia Honey is the founder of No Floor No More, a community interest company that rescues flooring from film sets and festivals, remnants from carpet shops, and samples and pre-owned flooring from people, to provide new tenants with low-cost flooring. People who need flooring can come along with measurements and choose a piece that suits them at a small cost. Families receiving benefits are given a further discount. Pia is a climate champion and a rising star, going above and beyond to improve sustainability by singlehandedly setting up this circular economy initiative without any funding. 

 

Pia shares her knowledge through campaigning and media appearance. She also advocates for a reduction in waste (and cost) for local authorities, which simultaneously improves access to flooring for council house tenants, through an ongoing petition. St Albans, where Pia is from, has now changed its policy – and other areas in the UK are following suit.

 

The judges said:

“Pia has made a significant impact in supporting people at times of significant uncertainty whilst also reducing waste to landfill. Fantastic example of innovative application of waste materials towards a circular economy”

 

Emily Braham – director, Energiesprong UK

 

Emily Braham is a systems thinker, problem solver and diversity champion. She understands that scaling retrofit requires tackling multiple barriers – such as unlocking business cases, nurturing supply chains, empowering residents and fostering long-term policy support. Emily has promoted collaboration for years, building diverse teams at both Nottingham City Homes and Energiesprong UK (ESUK). In 2022, she led a hackathon designed to attract new voices into retrofit, resulting in 50% female attendees – many of whom pursued careers in the sector. 

 

Under Emily’s leadership, ESUK has become a key convener of multi-stakeholder retrofit projects. This is evident in ESUK’s leadership of Transform-ER, a coalition of 13 industry leaders working to tackle retrofit’s biggest barriers to scale and enabling one million home upgrades every year by 2030. A disruptor and innovator, Emily constantly envisions better ways forward and embraces the challenges of mediating between stakeholders to overcome barriers. Emily’s open approach to knowledge-sharing is central to her success. She actively discusses real-life challenges, lessons learned and best practices, encouraging transparency across the sector.

 

The judges said:

“Emily is a leader who has been an integral part of transforming the UK’s retrofit sector to meet net zero targets, and who has made a significant contribution to the industry”

 

Tim Meanock – chief executive, Tallarna

 

A champion for sector-wide collaboration, Tim Meanock has built relationships with industry leaders such as Places for People, Healthy Homes Hub, and the Transform-ER initiative, making him a trusted source of knowledge. His frequent articles, reports and speaking roles at major events all help to amplify his influence. Tim’s work with The Retrofit Society is a testament to his dedication to knowledge-sharing.

 

An action-learning programme co-founded by Tallarna, The Retrofit Society addresses the gap in financial expertise among sustainability leaders who manage more than 950,000 homes between them. Tim has personally led more than six hours of finance panels and presentations to members. What sets Tim apart is his unwavering focus on delivering decarbonisation in a way that benefits everyone. This has moved the sector to a place where large-scale action has become a financial imperative. Crucially, Tim ensures that no one is left behind in the energy transition - be that residents with care needs or those with outstanding debt. His commitment to inclusivity and collaboration sets a powerful example.

 

The judges said:

“Tim exemplifies the impact that can be achieved when climate action is driven by collaborative, transparent and financially astute leadership. His approach is a model for how the sector can and must decarbonise”