Katrin Harding lost her Wokingham Borough Council seat to Conservative Leon Cook by 19 votes, leaving a big hole in the borough's climate leadership.
Local figures made their feelings clear. "I'm gutted that she lost by 19 votes," said MP Clive Jones. Leader Stephen Conway added: "I'm very, very upset that we've lost such a high-quality councillor in Katrin. She is an exceptionally talented person."
A Cambridge-trained mathematician, Harding moved from data analysis and an Asda summer internship into energy work at BP and then local government. She calls herself a 'Climate Warrior'.
On her time at BP she said: "There are many brilliant people who work at BP and I'm sure that's the same across all oil and gas companies. " "We have to ensure that there's a fair transition for people moving out of the many jobs in our economy that are incompatible with a sustainable future."
She grew increasingly sceptical about big oil's speed on climate: "Sadly, my optimism for a constructive role in the energy transition for BP has given way to a naked pursuit of profits over planet. " "Current geopolitics underlines the need to move away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible for energy security and to reduce cost to households. " "I fear we have even worse to come in terms of fuel costs and inflation from the current situation in the Middle East."
Harding won Thames ward in 2024 while eight months pregnant and has spent two years leading on renewable energy and sustainable travel for the council.
She praised local work but said there's more to do to get society onto a sustainable path.
Her next move is likely to stay in climate action rather than elected office. "Next small move is setting up a Community Energy group for Wokingham Borough – more renewable energy, owned by local people."
She's also planning some downtime: "First, I want to spend more time with my family after a grueling election campaign. I'm looking forward to getting out on my gravel bike, and hopefully back into running. " "And considering some form of higher education course – I have become fascinated by the psychology of how people can work together and communicate effectively."
For now, Harding's defeat looks like a pause rather than an exit from the climate agenda.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
