Oxford City Council’s first scientific advisor
Co-director of the Integrate Programme, Professor Nick Eyre, has been appointed as Oxford City Council’s first scientific advisor. Nick will support the Council and the city to tackle the climate emergency.
Professor Nick Eyre says
“I am delighted to have been asked by the City Council to act as its scientific advisor on climate change. The transition to making Oxford a zero carbon city will be a challenge, but it is achievable, and the work to do it has already begun. I look forward to ensuring that the Council has access to best advice from the city’s two universities as it continues sets out on this path.”
In his voluntary and unsalaried role as the Scientific Advisor, Nick will offer the Council independent advice relating to its goal of tackling the climate emergency in Oxford. He will support the council in its future policy making, and will help to coordinate the strategy for the net-zero objectives for the city and the Council.
Following its declaration of a climate emergency in January 2019, and organising the Oxford Citizens Assembly on Climate Change later that year, the Council agreed to create a zero carbon plan for the Council and city.
Nick has been appointed as the council acknowledged the need for expert advice on the science around the climate emergency, to have in-depth understanding of the challenges facing the Council, residents, and the community, and how best to respond.
Nick will support the Council as it takes the important next steps to address the climate emergency, and use his expertise to provide independent scientific advice.
The initial appointment will be for 18 months.
All about Nick
Professor Nick Eyre is Senior Research Fellow in Energy at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), and a Supernumerary Fellow of Oriel College. He leads the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, which is the main UK university research programme on energy use. He is also a Co-Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Integrating Renewable Energy.
Nick has worked as a researcher, consultant and manager on energy and environmental issues since 1984, and was Programme Leader for Energy in the Environmental Change Institute from 2007 to 2017. His focus is on energy policy, in particular looking at energy demand, energy efficiency and the transition to low carbon energy systems.
He has also supported Low Carbon Hub in their landmark ‘Oxfordshire’s Local Carbon Economy’ report which evaluated the economic case for investment in the low carbon economy in Oxfordshire.
He was one of the UK’s first researchers on mitigation of carbon emissions, and was co-author of a presentation to the UK Cabinet on this issue in 1989. In 1997, he wrote the first published study on how the Government’s 20% carbon emission reduction target might be delivered. He has since advised Government ministers and Parliamentary inquiries.
Nick also spoke as an expert speaker and Advisory Group member at the Oxford Citizens Assembly on Climate Change in autumn last year, as well speaking as the Climate Assembly UK earlier this year. He has lived in Oxford for 35 years.
