Dr Mark Winskel - SPS COP26
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Mark Winskel is Senior Lecturer in the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies research group at the School of Social and Political Science. His current research includes work on energy expertise and research-policy exchange for the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC).
He also supports UKERC's policy engagement efforts in Scotland, and works closely with ClimateXChange (CXC), Scotland's national centre for expertise on climate change. He was CXC's Policy Director (2019-20) and is a member of CXC's Directorate (since 2016).
He was previously UKERC’s national Research Coordinator, a role that involved designing, supporting and leading collaborations between social scientists and economists, engineers and physical scientists, and environmental and biological scientists. Other research interests include evidence review, whole energy system change and energy scenarios. He has acted as an advisor for the International Energy Agency, the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament and many others.
Mark has been researching energy systems, policies and organisations for more than 25 years. He also teaches on energy, policy, society and sustainability.
Current energy and climate mitigation research work
Here are details of Mark's current research in these areas:
Research for ClimateXChange (with Niall Kerr) on Scotland’s transition to low carbon home heating
This includes:
- a recent CXC report on fossil fuel technology phase-out
- a review of low carbon heat policies in Europe
Research for ClimateXChange (with Kyle Parker) on developing a Green Industrial Strategy for Scotland
This includes:
Research for the UK Energy Research Centre (with Michael Kattirtzi) on understanding expert differences on expectations and visions for the UK’s energy transition.
Mark and Michael have written blogs on this for UKERC, linking to research briefings and papers:
- Blog: Energy transition or energy revolution?
- Disruption and Continuity in the UK Energy Transition: What do the experts think?
Interdisciplinarity research practice in energy
Mark is also exploring how different disciplines can work together on energy and climate mitigation research:
- Interdisciplinary research for energy systems integration: understanding and promoting good practice
- UKERC Interdisciplinary Review: Research Report
Costs of home-heating technologies
With UKERC, Mark is currently researching how to reduce the costs of home heating technologies
SPS Energy, Environment and Sustainability group
Mark is part of the Energy, Environment and Sustainability group in SPS
Other projects
As well as CXC and UKERC, Mark is also involved in cross-School initiatives such as Energy@Edinburgh and the new Edinburgh Earth Initiative, and SKAPE, the School’s centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy Exchange.
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