Celebrating 15 Years: UCL Energy Institute’s Directors Reflect on Key Milestones and Impact

Established in 2009 as UCL’s response to the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions, the institute has grown into a global leader in interdisciplinary energy research. This anniversary is not just a celebration of past achievements but a rallying call for the future. With global leaders at COP28 recently committing to transition away from fossil fuels, UCL Energy Institute's work has never been more critical.

In this article, past and present directors of the UCL Energy Institute reflect on the institute’s evolution, key milestones, and the impact of its research over the last 15 years.

Tadj Oresczyn (Founding Director 2008 - 2014): Foundation and Vision

What was the original vision behind establishing the UCL Energy Institute?

UCL-Energy was established in 2009 as UCL’s response to the global challenges of mitigating climate change and providing energy security in the 21^st century. The original vision was to build on UCL's significant capacity in energy research, spanning over 18 departments and a history dating back to economist Sir William Stanley Jevons (1835-1882). Jevons is known for the Jevons Paradox, which observes that improvements in fuel efficiency often lead to increased overall fuel use. The aim was to create a central hub for energy research with a clear, coherent outward presence. By leveraging UCL's multidisciplinary strengths, the focus shifted to energy demand rather than the supply side, which was the typical emphasis of engineering-based institutes.

How did you establish the institute and what were some early challenges?

The institute was established with tremendous support from everyone at UCL. UCL has a fantastic way of behaving collegially. Our biggest challenge was that our original plan envisioned a largely virtual institute with minimal staff and no teaching. However, within only a few months, we had outgrown our offices, we were managing multimillion-pound budgets, and we were setting up teaching programmes, effectively becoming a physical department. We had staff who left their disciplinary homes to join a multidisciplinary institute. This is what makes us special.

How did the institute evolve and grow during this period?

The Energy Institute was growing rapidly, and in 2011, the Institute for Sustainable Resources, led by Paul Ekins, spun out from it and became a sister institute, maintaining close collaborations to this day. Later, we started operating as the Bartlett School of Environment Energy and Resources with four institutes, and I became the Director of the School in 2019.

Bob Lowe  (2014- 2018)

What were some key developments during your tenure?

During my tenure, we significantly enhanced our PhD programme with support from an EPSRC Doctoral training initiative. Originally funded under LoLo and subsequently ERBE, this programme achieved exceptional success, securing three refunds over a 15-year period from the UK Research Councils.

Neil Strachan (2018-2021): Expansion and Innovation

How did the institute evolve during your leadership, building upon the foundation laid by the founding director?

Under my leadership from 2018 onwards, we expanded rapidly,  from 5 staff in 2009 to 60 staff, 60 PhDs, and 150 MSc students by 2020. We restructured intofour cross-disciplinary research themes and established 10 specialist labs, focusing on areas like shipping, AI, and climate resilience.

Reflecting our commitment to diversity, by 2020, our efforts led to significant milestones: our first female senior academic was appointed as Professor, and senior academic roles (Professor and Associate Professor) in BSEER were 30% female and increasing.

Catalina Spataru (2022 - present): Future Goals and Vision

How do you see the original vision of the UCL Energy Institute reflected in its current state?

I joined the Energy Institute in 2010 when it was in its early stages with a minimal core staff. At that time, I was oscillating between academia and industry but chose to stay in academia due to the strong ambition and dedication of our staff to interdisciplinary research, which is a cornerstone of our identity. The original vision, of a multidisciplinary institute focused on energy, has not only been preserved but also significantly expanded and strengthened. We have evolved into a large, world-leading institute with a robust organisational and research foundation. Throughout this growth, we have remained committed to interdisciplinary collaboration, social cohesion, support for early-career researchers, diversity, and fair treatment.

How does the institute's research currently contribute to shaping policies and practices to respond to energy transition and climate change?

With our 12 robust research groups, we contribute in diverse ways. For instance, in the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, our researchers highlighted that improvements in air quality could prevent deaths caused by fossil fuel-derived particulate matter air pollution, which accounted for 1.3 million deaths in 2020 alone.

What are the institute's key priorities and goals moving forward?