Sarah Mackintosh is the Director leading the Cleantech for UK initiative, where she builds coalitions of cleantech and policy leaders to scale up sustainable innovation. Under her leadership, Cleantech for UK has secured sustained funding from Breakthrough Energy and become a trusted voice in shaping the nation’s cleantech agenda, driving reforms in planning, grid connections, and finance.

Prior to joining Cleantech Group, Sarah spent 11 years in the UK civil service, focusing on energy and innovation policy. She played a pivotal role in implementing the UK Government’s innovation strategy, accelerating R&D and technology commercialisation, and leading cross-functional teams through critical national projects, including energy support measures and the National Security and Investment Act.

Sarah began her career as a research associate in carbon capture and storage. She holds a degree in Environmental Science, a PhD in Isotope Geochemistry, and a Master’s in Public Policy. She also co-founded the Industrial Decarbonisation AI Coalition, advancing the use of AI in industrial decarbonisation.