The Team
The Energy & Climate intelligence Unit is an independent non-profit that supports informed debate on energy and climate change.
Peter Chalkley joined the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit when it launched in 2014 having previously spent 10 years in corporate communications consultancy advising private and public sector clients on communications strategy, media relations and stakeholder engagement with a particular focus on sustainability.
During his time at ECIU, Pete has helped to develop the organisation’s strategy and direction, expanding its functions to further the mission. He has helped to author a number of reports on various aspects of climate change and energy.
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Peter Chalkley
Director
Simon joined the ECIU in September 2021, moving from the House of Lords where he worked as Clerk to the Science and Technology Select Committee and previously to the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
From 2013 to 2017, he worked for the Energy Research Partnership, a public-private joint venture that seeks to identify strategic issues affecting the development and depolyment of low-carbon technologies.
From 2007 to 2013, he held a number of roles at Ofgem, including in environmental policy and large-scale transmission investments. He has a PhD in Physics from the University of St Andrews.
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Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin
Head of Analysis
Patricia specialises in research and policy change digital marketing and communications, with a focus on human rights and social justice. Her background is in climate change, development; humanitarian aid; and children and young people. She developed a participatory communications technique to better involve service users in charity campaigns, and ran a social enterprise for several years to support charities with digital engagement.
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Patricia Curmi
Digital Strategist
Alasdair joined ECIU (initially supporting the work of the Climate Assembly UK) after having built up over five years’ experience of working in Parliament, most recently for former Environment Minister Richard Benyon.
Prior to that he has worked in different capacities for three other MPs and for a start-up tech firm following his graduation from the University of Birmingham.
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Alasdair Johnstone
Head of Parliamentary Engagement
Zoe joined ECIU in June 2020 as Operations and Finance Manager.
A chartered accountant, she brings over 25 years of experience within industry and non-profit organisations, in sectors ranging from windfarm and property development to technology and healthcare services.
She holds a MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London, as part of which she researched the market impact of the energy certification of commercial buildings. She studied economics at the University of Manchester.
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Zoe Kaplan
Finance and Operations Manager
Tom joined the ECIU in March 2023, moving from the RSPB where he was head of farming and land management policy. His background is in agriculture and land use policy, having coordinated much of the environment sectors policy development and advocacy around post-Brexit farm payment reforms in England.
Prior to this, he spent several years working to influence the development and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy at both the EU and UK level.
He started his career at Natural England working on land management scheme administration, and holds a degree in geography.
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Tom Lancaster
Head of Land, Food and Farming
John runs the Net Zero Tracker, an international consortium project spearheaded by ECIU, and specialises in communicating climate science and policy to the public.
A New Zealand qualified lawyer, John also runs the e-nvironmentalist, a climate communication blog; Consult Climate, a sustainability consultancy; and Kiwis in Climate, a non-partisan group of international New Zealanders involved in climate and related fields.
He holds a Master of Laws in policy and earth science from UCL, and undergraduate degrees in history and law from the University of Otago.
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John Lang
Net Zero Tracker Lead
Polly joined ECIU as People and Operations Director in May 2023, after 11 years working at Soapbox, a creative communications agency for think tanks and research organisations. She has a background in non-profit communications, working on projects across healthcare, climate science and international development. Polly has a degree in English & History from the University of Sussex and postgraduate qualifications in Financial Management, HR, and Management and Leadership.
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Polly O'Hara
People and Operations Director
Before joining the ECIU in April 2020, Jess worked for Ecuity Consulting LLP where she specialised in energy policy and communications and the Sustainable Energy Association where she held a policy advisor role particularly for energy efficiency and low carbon heating. She holds a BSc in Geological Sciences from the University of Leeds and MSc in Oceanography from the University of Southampton.
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Jess Ralston
Head of Energy
Gareth joined ECIU in March 2021 from WWF-UK, where he was Head of Climate Change for just over four years. Working to influence government and business, he led a team of climate specialists working on UK policy, advocacy and campaigning to tackle climate change and restore nature. He also worked as part of WWF’s global Climate and Energy Practice network to influence UNFCCC processes and decision-making.
Before WWF, Gareth worked for the UK government for 15 years across various policy portfolios, as well as leading operational delivery teams, and working directly for Ministers. Most recently he led a team in the Department for Energy and Climate Change which worked on subsidy and support to install and operate renewable electricity infrastructure in the UK.

Gareth Redmond-King
Head of International Programme
Before joining the ECIU in early 2023, Amber worked at the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) where she led engagement with stakeholders in academia, policy and the third sector. During this time, she learnt the importance of interdisciplinarity and developed a whole systems perspective of net zero.
Amber holds a BSc in Zoology from UCL and an MRes in Tropical Forest Ecology from Imperial College London. As such, her interests lie in how energy and climate change intersect with land-use and biodiversity loss.
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Amber Sawyer
Energy and climate analyst
Before joining ECIU, George worked as a media relations manager for WWF-UK, covering a range of issues including energy and climate change as well as food, transport, finance and economy, sustainable business and WWF’s corporate partnerships. He was also seconded to WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative (GCEI), and was media lead for their recent global campaign, Seize Your Power. Prior to WWF, George worked for communications consultancy Luther Pendragon, and before that in the parliamentary office of Bath MP Don Foster, where he was employed after completing a masters in politics at York University.
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George Smeeton
Head of Communications
Colin joined ECIU in August 2022 from British Cycling, where he worked as the organisation’s lead for London and the central regions for four years. Besides developing the sport and contributing to the sport’s ongoing elite success, he focused on efforts to improve the diversity of participation in cycling, and realising the environmental and societal benefits of cycling as a means of transportation.
Before British Cycling, Colin spent 15 years working in policy the charity sector – this included time at Save the Children, Mind, Which?, Warchild, and Plan International. The initiatives he led achieved a number of successes, including securing an extra £400m for the provision of psychological therapies on the NHS, amending anti-terrorism legislation to protect freedom of access to information, and rolling out traffic light labelling systems to enable people to make more informed choices about the food they eat.
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Colin Walker
Transport Analyst
Richard Black was Director of ECIU 2014-2020 and is now a Senior Associate focussing on the international agenda. Richard's background is in journalism and broadcasting, having joined BBC World Service in 1985 as a studio manager following his Cambridge science degree. He subsequently worked for BBC World Service as producer and presenter on science, current affairs, health and sport programmes, and as Science Correspondent, and also ran an independent radio production company specialising in health and medicine. As BBC Environment Correspondent, his reporting assignments included many UN summits including five UNFCCC meetings and Rio+20. He reported from the field on issues such as carbon capture and storage, nuclear power, amphibian conservation, whaling, forestry, aquaculture and earthquake prediction. From 2012 Richard was Director of Communications for the Global Ocean Commission prior to setting up ECIU. In 2018 he wrote 'Denied: The Rise and Fall of Climate Contrarianism', the only book about the UK's climate contrarian elite, its influence and its retreat. Richard is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, is a Senior Policy Advisor to clean energy analysts Ember, and frequently contributes to UK broadcast programmes and news media, including taking part in the BBC's 'Climate Change: The Facts' presented by Sir David Attenborough

Richard Black
Senior Associate