Draft:Giles Dickson

Former British diplomat and lobbyist for the wind energy industry in Europe.

Giles Dickson is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WindEurope, an organisation previously known as the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). WindEurope is a lobbying organisation representing the European wind industry. It encompasses various segments of the wind power value chain, including turbine manufacturers, component suppliers, power utilities, project developers, financial institutions, and research institutes​​.

Prior to his tenure at WindEurope, Giles Dickson served as the Vice President of Global Public Affairs at Alstom from 2008 to 2015. His duties at Alstom included leading environmental negotiations at the UK Permanent Representation in Brussels and managing Alstom’s global governmental engagement on related issues​.

Dickson's early career was in civil service with the UK government, where he served from 1992 to 2008. His roles included Counsellor for Environment at the UK Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and postings at the UK Foreign Office and British Embassy in Madrid.

Additionally, Dickson was the chairman of the independent advisory council of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E)​​. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Brasenose College in Oxford.

Representing the wind energy sector
As a conference speaker, commentator and author of articles Giles Dickson has written and spoken extensively about the importance of renewable energy sources like wind power in addressing climate change and reducing reliance on fossil fuels​.

He is known for the intervention at an OECD event during the Paris Climate Talks in 2015 for saying "we need to move to wind energy because it simply makes economic sense".

Dickson has expressed support for certain elements EU Clean Energy Package, including a three-year visibility requirement for renewable policies, the reduction of barriers to corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), and a binding template for National Energy Plans. According to him, these measures are crucial for maintaining the wind industry's industrial base in Europe. However, Dickson has also noted his disappointment with the Council's reluctance to endorse the Parliament's proposal for a 35% renewable energy target by 2030, emphasising the economic impact of this lack of ambition.​

In 2017, under his leadership, WindEurope received the Overall Best European Association award at the European Association Awards ceremony.