The work of the Public Engagement Observatory is overseen by an Advisory Group which provides advice and guidance on its research, operation and strategic direction. The Advisory Group’s membership spans a wide range of interests and expertise on participation and public engagement with energy and climate change from government, business, NGOs and the academic community. The members of the Advisory Group are as follows.
Elizabeth joined the Energy Retail Markets team at Citizens Advice in 2017. Her main focus is delivering rigorous insight on Retail Market outcomes for consumers through monitoring industry performance. This work ensures that Citizens Advice can deliver leading research and advocacy on domestic and micro-business consumer experience to ensure appropriate regulation and policy in energy markets. Prior to joining Citizen Advice, Elizabeth worked on affordability challenges in the UK energy markets in industry and as an academic researcher.
Simon has long and extensive experience in the fields of democratic reform, open government, public participation, stakeholder engagement, accountability and transparency, scientific and technology innovation and organisational change. In his role with Involve, Simon has worked with and advised many organisations including Number 10, the Cabinet Office, the Scottish Government, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, NHS England, UNDP, OECD, the World Bank, the European Economic and Social Council, as well as at local level with numerous local authorities and other public bodies. His current role sees him leading an expansion of Involve’s work on science and technology. This Citizens and Science programme focuses on developing more effective ways for citizens to be involved in the development and application of new technological innovations with a particular focus on data and artificial intelligence.
Noortje’s work contributes to the interdisciplinary field of Science, Technology and Society (STS) and investigates issues at the intersection of innovation, publics, the environment and everyday life. She has conducted research on emergent forms of participation in technological societies, on sustainable living, everyday carbon accounting and material participation. She has contributed to the development of digital methods of issue mapping, and more recently, situational analytics, across science, public policy and activism. Her current research is concerned with testing “beyond the laboratory”: examining diverse forms of experimentation in social environments as occasions for encounters between science, engineering, nature and society.
Leo is co-founder and director of innovation at climate charity Possible. Through his work he aims to ensure that Possible’s campaigns help generate innovative new ideas (e.g. through the establishment of Riding Sunbeams, a social enterprise which connects solar panels directly to rail routes in the UK to help power trains and cut emissions), and improve the interaction between ordinary people and the low carbon transition.
Since becoming obsessed with climate change in 2005, Leo has tried a lot of different approaches to addressing it, and played a central role in the original campaign against a third runway at Heathrow Airport. He co-founded the 10:10 campaign that later became Possible back in 2009, and has been back in the charity since 2013, following a stint designing adventure playgrounds and making eco animations.
A social researcher by background, Beth has over 15 years’ experience applying social research and behavioural science within the public sector, having previously worked at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (now BEIS) and the Office for National Statistics. In her current role she generates insights on consumers with a particular focus on affordability, consumer engagement in the energy market and behaviour change for net zero.
Dhara is a deputy director at Energy UK. Previous roles have included head of future energy services at Citizens Advice and policy and performance manager at London Borough of Brent and Dartford Borough Council. Dhara has a background in social and consumer policy, and has worked for the energy consumer watchdog since 2009.
Rebecca works on environment, climate and energy policy and politics, looking at the relationship between the citizen and state in climate governance. She currently runs the Climate Citizens project, which examines the role of public engagement in energy and climate governance, and holds a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. In 2019-2020, Rebecca was an Expert Lead to Climate Assembly UK, the first national Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change, established by six parliamentary select committees in the House of Commons.