The head of the Government’s zero-emission vehicle department is leaving the post after 14 years.
Richard Bruce CBE, director of the Office of Zero Emissions (OZEV), is set to step down from the role in late September and take up a new position as chief executive of the International Council on Clean Transport (ICCT).
Bruce joined the then-Office of Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) in 2012 and has helped direct government policies on decarbonising transport since, including the introduction of the ZEV Mandate.
News of his departure comes less than two weeks after the Government confirmed a review into the flagship policy amid pressure from the automotive industry.
During his time at the OLEV/OZEV, Bruce also helped implement the Plug-in Car Grant, Plug-in Van Grant and the current Electric Car Grant as means to encourage wider uptake of electric vehicles across passenger and commercial sectors.
The ICCT is a global think tank focused on promoting clean transport policies around the world. It describes its purpose as proving “exceptional, objective, timely research and technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators” to “empower” decision-makers to clean up transport in all forms and mitigate climate change.
Bruce will join the ICCT on September 28. Confirming his appointment, the ICCT said: “Richard brings more than two decades of exemplary leadership in international transportation decarbonisation and climate policy. Most recently, he served as director of the UK’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), where he led national efforts on vehicle standards, charging infrastructure, investment strategy, and cross-government coordination.”
Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Bruce said: “There are not many roles that would have tempted me away from DfT/OZEV, but I know from personal experience that the ICCT is an incredible organisation, with brilliant people doing fantastic impactful work on a global scale. It really is a dream job and I feel very, very fortunate that they have chosen me.”
