Hitesh Mahawar is a Cambridge graduate sustainability professional with over nine years of cross-sector experience spanning climate action, sustainable development, and finance and data. He currently serves as Climate Change Programme Manager at Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire, where he manages and leads the delivery of organisational and district-wide climate programmes.

Hitesh is spearheading the development of the council’s Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) and contributes to shaping wider place-based strategies that support long-term decarbonisation, resilience, and inclusive growth. His work sits at the interface of local government, business, and regional stakeholders, with a focus on translating strategic climate ambitions into credible, deliverable action.

He brings a systems-thinking and governance-led approach to local climate leadership, with particular experience in developing transparent, practical transition and action plans through collaboration and partnership.