What is the role for demand reduction in a sustainable energy transition?

John Barrett is a Professor in Energy and Climate Policy at the University of Leeds.  He has a track record of leading research centres that have employed a range of modelling approaches to understand how changes in production and consumption can contribute to a low carbon future. John is currently a Theme Leader of the Energy Demand Research Centre (www.edrc.ac.uk). John was the Director of the Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIE-MAP – www.ciemap.ac.uk), a £4 million initiative funded by the UK Research Council exploring how using material and products differently could contribute to the UK carbon targets. John was a Co-Director in the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS). Leading a large collaborative project to produce the first comprehensive national vision of the role of energy demand in meeting net zero emission targets. John’s research is applied in various arena having been an advisor to a number of UK Government departments, Government Select Committees and agencies such as the Committee on Climate Change. He has awarded an OBE in 2022 in recognition of the contribution his research has made to shape UK policy in the areas of climate change and resource efficiency.  John was also a lead author for the International Panel on Climate Change, Working Group III.

Rob is a partner in PwC’s Strategy Consulting business, specialising in the Energy sector. He has over 20 years of industry expertise with experience covering sector strategy, policy and regulation, and extensive work as a commercial advisor in M&A, financing and restructuring.

Rob works across the full energy value chain. Having started in the oil sector, covering refining, distribution and trading, Rob later worked in upstream oil and in the natural gas and LNG sectors. With Energy Transition gaining pace, this practice has grown to cover a large part of the New Energies landscape, including EVs and batteries, renewables, and the emerging technologies entering the space. Rob also works on the energy aspects of Net Zero and wider ESG compliance.

Rob’s clients include many of the leading international oil and gas companies, national oil companies, and public utilities, as well as major financial investors such as PE and Infrastructure Funds, and sovereign wealth funds. Rob has also worked extensively with government, including with BEIS and HMT in the UK, and with other national government and inter-government institutions.

His expertise includes:

• Energy sector strategy, portfolio strategy and investment development
• M&A advisory, including buy and sell-side diligence
• Restructuring and refinancing
• Government policy and regulation
• Expert witness support for commercial disputes

Rob began his career as a markets, regulatory and competitor specialist for PFC Energy / IHS, before moving upstream to Schlumberger and subsequently Arthur D. Little’s Energy Practice. He is a qualified accountant.

Izzy Woolgar is Director of External Affairs at Centre for Net Zero (CNZ), a research institute advancing tech-driven energy systems that benefit humanity. The Centre is a non-profit, autonomous organisation set up by the Octopus Energy Group.

Her remit is to get the Centre’s research into the hands of influential global stakeholders, driving bolder policy-making and an accelerated energy transition. She is passionate about the role of demand-side flexibility, changing consumer behaviours and open data in driving the decarbonisation of energy systems.

A specialist in strategic communications, Izzy spent several years advising global tech and energy blue chips. She worked closely with Centrica and bp, helping them to pivot to integrated energy companies. She provided consultancy to their corporate venturing teams, developing and showcasing investment portfolios of high growth, green tech businesses. Izzy holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge.