Until recently there was little strategic advice on offer to organisations beyond an NGO, a green guru or a university professor, with the actual work normally being done by people who are often barely out of university. As organisations' top teams get to grips with issues like climate change, we believe that they need to be sure that their advisers are strong in four key qualities:

Deep understanding of issues like climate change
This is a highly complex subject and you need advisers who can help you to get to grips with it. We have a thorough and deep understanding of the scientific and technical aspects of climate change, and the know-how to make this accessible to others. Our consultants have worked on the environmental sustainability agenda, and on climate change in particular, since the 1980s. We have worked in industry, in academia, in our communities and with government. We have in-depth understanding both of the science of climate change and of how it impacts upon organisations. We have worked on policy responses to both the adaptation and the mitigation agendas. We have undertaken considerable amounts of original research. We are strongly networked with practising scientists, with technical specialists and with policymakers across the world.

Strong grasp of business strategy
It is one thing to know what the issues are, but you also need the strategic and commercial experience to respond to them. Most of our people have much commercial experience, two have worked in corporate strategy roles, several have had significant line management experience, most have been involved in significant and transformative strategic programmes in industry or in government.

Skill and experience in organisational and human change
Climate responses usually involve some organisational change. We have years of experience in how organisations change. All of our teams include people with significant strategic organisational change experience in industry and commerce or the public sector as appropriate. We have carried out ground-breaking projects on organisational and human change aspects of climate change. Two of our project leaders have worked as Directors of a leading organisational change consultancy. Our years of experience in working with managers have given us an unusual level of experience of how practically to support people as they get to grips with issues like climate change.

Strategic communications expertise
We specialise in helping people to prepare for prime-time appearances on the national media. Our team includes people who have worked at the top level of the national media and who have won national broadcasting awards. We have trained ministers, top executives, senior government advisers and a whole host of other people in how to get complex messages across to other people.

Pulling it together
Each of our people offers strengths in at least two of these areas. Many are strong in three. This means that Alexander Ballard Ltd can always provide a team that matches the needs of top executives as they engage with this complex and challenging agenda. We develop corporate capacity to adapt and respond competitively in a rapidly changing business and bio-physical environment. We give our clients practical tools and support for self reliance.

Experience across a wide range of industries
We have experience across a wide range of industries, including Construction, Investment banking, Electronics, Retail, Food and Drink, Health, Water, Media, Transport, Telecommunications, Heavy manufacturing, Engineering, Petroleum, Aviation, Computing, Software, Insurance, Consultancy, Government (local, regional, devolved and national), Government Agencies, Not for Profit, Education and Academia.

Broad international experience
Many of our consultants have significant international experience in Europe and beyond. We are also strongly networked internationally, which means that we can put together teams with just the experience you need.