BPPA is the pre-eminent source of political counsel on energy, climate change and the environment.

We currently provide comprehensive government relations and public affairs services to National Grid and CE Electric. We also work with key players in the renewable energy sector.

BPPA has previously worked with electricity distribution and water companies, energy generation, network and supply trade associations, a nuclear energy generator and a leading independent oil company.

BPPA advises on the full range of public policy and legislative agendas affecting the electricity, gas and water sectors in the UK. These include energy policy, EU and UK climate change strategies, Defra’s water strategies, planning reform, the work of Ofgem and Ofwat, corporate responsibility, social policy (fuel poverty and water poverty), consumer protection and skills. Examples of our work in recent years include:

• helping to assemble policy submissions and position papers on government energy white papers; 
• co-ordinating a submission to the 2007 renewables obligation review; 
• analysing the political debates around heat and renewable heat; 
• developing a detailed political engagement plan on the 2007 planning white paper; 
• providing analyses of the issues arising from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and 
• during the passage of the Water Act in 2003, drafting speeches, background papers and amendments to the legislation. 

One of our specialisms is providing counsel on the politics of climate change. We have advised clients from a variety of sectors on how to influence the UK government’s climate change strategies. We identify opportunities to shape policy and legislation from a number of departments. Our work on climate change also includes providing counsel on mitigating risks to different organisations’ reputations and, increasingly, using companies’ climate initiatives to maximise their credibility with political audiences. Wherever possible, we seek to bring these activities together, as part of an integrated public affairs and communications strategy.

Another area of expertise is price reviews in regulated industries. BPPA assisted two electricity distribution and a water-only company to bring together their political influencing strategies for the 2004 price reviews. BPPA identified the issues that were most salient to ministers, MPs and other players in the wider policy debates and helped to bring together messages to enable companies’ commercial cases to hit home with the audiences who matter most. We have also run programmes to enable companies to communicate with key audiences.

Contact: Neil Stockley, Director
nstockley@bell-pottinger.co.uk