Friends of the Earth has promoted its director of policy and campaigns, Craig Bennett, to become its new chief executive, it announced today.

Andy Atkins, the charity’s current chief executive, announced he would be stepping down earlier this year after seven years in the role.

Bennett (pictured) has led the charity’s campaigns since 2010, in which time he has helped ensure that the UK remains frack-free and secured a National Pollinator Strategy to reverse the decline of bees.

Bennett said: “I first started campaigning with Friends of the Earth local groups as a young teenager, so it’s an incredible honour to have now been appointed chief executive of this remarkable organisation.

“For over 40 years, Friends of the Earth has been the one place where people can take practical and political action locally and as part of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network.”

Prior to his role at Friends of the Earth, Bennett was deputy director at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and director of the Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change from 2007 to 2010.

Roger Clarke, chair of Friends of the Earth, said: “Craig has shown himself to be a visionary and inspirational leader and his commitment to Friends of the Earth and our objectives runs through him like a stick of rock.”

Bennett is currently on a sabbatical, undertaking a Policy Fellowship at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge. He will start the new role in July 2015, when Atkins steps down.

On leaving the organisation, Atkins is planning to take three months out to write a book before he goes back into environmental or development campaigning.