Climate Champions Power List

The recognition was announced at Manchester Central, alongside the Housing 2026 conference, in front of leaders from across the housing and retrofit sector.

The Power List shines a light on the people whose work is moving net zero from ambition to delivery. For Graham, that journey started a long way from any awards ceremony. He began as a 14-year-old apprentice and, nearly three decades after founding RPS, still leads the business he built from the ground up — a specialist heating, renewables and retrofit contractor working across the North of England.

What sets Graham apart, in the judges' view, is conviction. He backed low-carbon heating long before it became the industry's focus, putting RPS in a position to install and maintain the technologies social landlords and homeowners now rely on to cut bills and carbon. That early commitment is now evidenced in warmer, more efficient homes across the region and in a workforce trained to deliver them.

"This entry demonstrates the passion Graham has for what he does, and shows the impact that he has had on people's lives — both his employees and those in homes who benefit from his firm's work."
Unlock Net Zero Judges

"It's an honour to be recognised by this award — but it was never just about me. I started out as a 14-year-old apprentice, and nearly 30 years on I'm proudest of the people around me. We backed low-carbon heating when it wasn't the fashionable thing to do, because it was the right thing for the families living in these homes. This recognition belongs to every engineer, surveyor and colleague at RPS who turns up and does the job properly, day in, day out. We're not done yet."
Graham Rothwell, RPS Founder

Congratulations to Graham, and to all of this year's Climate Champions. It's recognition that's thoroughly deserved — and a reminder of why RPS does what it does.