Shaun McCarthy - Director

Shaun McCarthy is a leading advocate of sustainable business practices.

He thrives on exploring new ways of working and has made the most of his unique ability to translate what sustainable development means to big business.

Shaun has led some innovative projects during his career including the development of a pioneering e-procurement process prior to the widespread use of the internet; overseeing a leading electricity procurement strategy, and developing a leading edge CO₂ strategy.

Having had lengthy careers with Shell UK and BAA, Shaun has more than 20 years' experience in commercial business and has spent the past 10 years as a senior manager specialising in sustainable purchasing and construction and assessing the impact of major infrastructure business on climate change.

Up until December 2006, as BAA Head of Utilities and Sustainability for supply, construction and ethical procurement, Shaun was accountable for leading the sustainable development agenda across the company’s yearly two million tonne carbon footprint, £10 billion capital programme and £1.6 billion supply chain.

Shaun is an honorary commissioner with the London Sustainable Development Commission and chaired the 2012 Games Sub-Group in 2006.

The 2012 Games Sub-Group, which has now been superseded by the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, helped make sustainable development a centrepiece of the Olympic bid and assisted in the development of the new assurance body’s framework.

Shaun has been voluntary Chairman of the Strategic Supply Chain Group since 2004. The Group promotes the use of sustainable supply chains to private and public sectors in the UK and operates in partnership with Business in the Community, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

He was member of the Government sponsored Sustainable Procurement Task Force, which was set up in May 2005 and published its National Action Plan on sustainable public procurement in June 2006.

In pursuit of his desire to promote sustainable procurement practices in the UK, Shaun recently founded Action Sustainability. He is one of three directors of this innovative social enterprise which provides a range of services from training to policy advice, to Government and major businesses.