Friends of the Earth has announced it has selected Asad Rehman as its new chief executive.

Currently serving as executive director for the anti-poverty and social justice charity War on Want, Rehman will start in the post from August 2025, taking over from interim chief executive Jamie Peters.

Rehman will return to Friends of the Earth having previously spent 11 years at the organisation. He was the group’s head of international climate campaigning until 2017.

Prior to that, he worked as a senior campaigner on the group’s rights and justice, and corporate and trade strands of work. He has also previously held positions with Friends of the Earth International and Amnesty International UK.

He will be the first person of colour to lead Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) in its more than 50-year history. He brings with him nearly four decades of experience in campaigning for environmental, social and racial justice, with a deep understanding of how these struggles are inextricably linked.

Asad Rehman, Friends of the Earth’s incoming chief executive, said: "Friends of the Earth has always stood apart as a radical force within the environmental movement, harnessing the power of grassroots campaigning to challenge the systems that drive inequality and environmental decline. It was these values that first brought me to the organisation nearly two decades ago and transformed me from a reluctant environmentalist to a passionate advocate for environmental justice.

"Having grown up in a working class community that was overlooked by the state, I know full well that changing hearts and minds on the environment is our biggest challenge in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and deepening inequality. But it's also our responsibility - we must show that the fight for climate and nature is inseparable from achieving true social and economic justice. That the same forces driving environmental breakdown are keeping many locked into poverty and hardship.

"There’s no doubt we’re at a critical juncture for our ailing planet. But instead of giving in to despair, it’s time for our movement to double down, build power from the ground up, and stand in solidarity with all those fighting for a fairer, more just world. Climate justice is not just about saving the planet - it’s about transforming society so that both people and nature can thrive. I couldn't be more ready for the challenge ahead."

---