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Professor Stephen Peake

Profile summary

Professional biography

Stephen is Professor of Climate Change and Energy at the Open University.

He is also Fellow of the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Previously he has served as international civil servant at the International Energy Agency at the OECD in Paris and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), based in Bonn, Germany.  Originally trained as a physicist, Stephen gained a PhD in Engineering and Management from the University of Cambridge, From 1993-1995 he was Research Fellow in the Energy and Environmental Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London, during which time he was seconded for several months to Group Planning at Shell International.

In 2021 he published a new popular science book 10 Short Lessons in Renewable Energy, Michael O’Mara Books, London.  

Stephen is an expert advisor for the Advertising Standards Authority and has worked on many cases involving carbon offsets, renewable energy, waste, energy efficiency, air quality and fuel additives.

He has consulted, facilitated or led workshops, coaching and leadership for many private, public and third sector organisations including: African Development Bank, Apple TV, Arup, Asian Development Bank, Ball Packaging Corporation, Bank of Communications (China), BBC, Chanel SA, CNN, Earthwatch, Firmenich, HSBC Global Leaders Kering (formerly PPR Group), Liontrust Asset Management, Lloyds Bank, Reuters, SABIC, Sainsbury’s Foundation, Saint Gobain Group, Santander, Tata Consulting, Tata Group, World Bank Group, WSP Engineering.

Stephen works on a range of topics including: Renewable Energy; Climate Science Communication; Sustainability Leadership; Systems Practice; Policy Science: Theory and Practice; Business Ethics and Sustainability; International Climate Finance

His professional accreditations include Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

 

Research interests

Energy Scenarios

Sustainability Leadership

Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and communicating Climate Change

The role of arts and performance in scientific and engineering leadership training

Education for Sustainabilty with a particular focus on Business Schools

Teaching interests

Climate Change,  Energy, Sustainabilty

Business education and Corporate Sustainabilty 

Renewable Energy

Interdisciplinary approaches to Sustainabilty

Digital Photography

 

Impact and engagement

www.stephenpeake.com

 

Research groups

NameTypeParent Unit
SUSTECH: Energy and Environmental Research UnitUnitFaculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology

Publications

Exploring the financial and investment implications of the Paris Agreement (2017)
Peake, Stephen and Ekins, Paul
Climate Policy, 17(7) (pp. 832-852)


[Book Review] The Inquisition of Climate Science (2012-06-01)
Peake, Stephen
Organization and Environment, 25(2) (pp. 199-201)


Turbulence in the climate regime (2010-11)
Peake, Stephen
Current History, 109(730) (pp. 349-354)


Policymaking as design in complex systems - the international climate change regime (2010-10)
Peake, Stephen
Emergence: Complexity and Organization, 12(2) (pp. 15-22)


Designing capacity-building in e-learning expertise: Challenges and strategies (2008-02)
Aczel, J. C.; Peake, S. R. and Hardy, P.
Computers and Education, 50(2) (pp. 499-510)


[Book Review] Our Affair with El Nino: How We Transformed an Enchanting Peruvian Current into a Global Climate Hazard (2006-09-01)
Peake, Stephen
Organization and Environment, 19(3) (pp. 426-428)


Spotlight shifts away from RE: Report on COP 11 and COP/MOP 1 (2006)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 7(1) (pp. 50-52)


Epistemologies of Climate Change: Science, Stories and Scepticism (2005-12)
Peake, Stephen
Organization and Environment, 18(4) (pp. 495-499)


COP10 Report: The tango goes on (2005-01)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 6(1) (pp. 54-55)


Delivering the Kyoto baby: UNFCCC COP9 report (2004)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 5(1) (pp. 52-53)


The Jo'burg Summit: What did it really mean for renewables? (2002-11)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 3(6) (pp. 46, 48-49)


The Marrakesh Accords: The value of carbon after COP7 (2002-01)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 3(1) (pp. 20-23)


Kyoto Lite: COP 6, part 2: The Bonn agreement (2001-09)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 2(7) (pp. 45-47)


Inside COP6: International Climate Change Negotiations (2001-01)
Peake, Stephen
Refocus, 2(1) (pp. 36-37)


Transport, Energy and Climate Change (1998-01)
Peake, Stephen
Automotive Environment Analyst


Editor's introduction: Transport, energy and climate change (1997-12-01)
Peake, Stephen
Energy Policy, 25(14-15) (iii-iv)


Renewable energy promotion in IEA countries (1996-09-01)
Ellis, Jane and Peake, Stephen
Renewable Energy, 9(1-4) (pp. 1175-1178)


Conference report: Transport demand management in 'Yuppieland': The 22nd European Transport Forum, University of Warwick, UK, 12-16 September 1994 (1995-02-01)
Peake, Stephen
Energy Policy, 23(2) (pp. 179-180)


Sustainable mobility in context: Three transport scenarios for the UK (1994-06)
Peake, Stephen and Hope, Chris
Transport Policy, 1(3) (pp. 195-207)


A pilot environmental index for the UK in the 1980s (1992-04-01)
Hope, Chris; Parker, Jonathan and Peake, Stephen
Energy Policy, 20(4) (pp. 335-343)


[Book Review] Process and policy advocacy: Environmental politics and policy: Theories and evidence (1992-02-01)
Peake, Stephen R.
Energy Policy, 20(2) (pp. 180-181)


A pilot Environmental Index for the United Kingdom: Results for the last decade (1991)
Hope, Chris; Parker, Jonathan and Peake, Stephen
Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 8(1) (pp. 85-107)


Climate Change: From Science to Sustainability (2009-05-28)
Peake, Stephen and Smith, Joe
ISBN : 978-0-19-956832-1 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford, UK


Environmental issues and policies (2002-06-10)
Ison, Stephen; Peake, Stephen and Wall, Stuart
ISBN : 273646249 | Publisher : Pearson Education Limited | Published : Harlow, UK


Transport, Energy and Climate Change (1997)
Peake, Stephen and Schipper, Lee
Energy and environment policy analysis series
ISBN : 9789264156913 | Publisher : Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) | Published : Paris


Vehicle and fuel challenges beyond 2000: Market impacts of the EU's Auto Oil programme (FT management report) (1997)
Peake, Stephen
FT Management Reports
ISBN : 978-1853346446 | Publisher : Financial Times | Published : London


Transport in transition: lessons from the history of energy (1994)
Peake, Stephen
ISBN : 185383209X | Publisher : Earthscan Publications | Published : London


An Oil Agenda for Europe (1994)
Michtell, John V. and Peake, Stephen
ISBN : 905031784 | Publisher : Brookings | Published : London


Introducing Renewable Energy (2017)
Peake, Stephen and Everett, Bob
In: Peake, Stephen ed. Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future (pp. 1-28)
ISBN : 978-0-19-875975-1 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


Renewable Energy Futures (2017)
Peake, Stephen and Everett, Bob
In: Peake, Stephen ed. Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future (pp. 597-616)
ISBN : 978-0-19-875975-1 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


What is a low carbon society? (2012-08-29)
Peake, Stephen
In: Herring, Horace ed. Living in a Low-Carbon Society in 2050. Energy, Climate and the Environment (pp. 15-27)
ISBN : 978-0-230-28225-4 | Publisher : Palgrave | Published : Basingstoke


The business of design (2012-03-21)
Peake, Stephen
In: Garner, Steven and Evans, Chris eds. Design and Designing: A Critical Introduction
ISBN : 978-1-84788-577-7 | Publisher : Berg | Published : London


Remedies: towards a sustainable energy future (2012)
Boyle, Godfrey; Peake, Stephen and Everett, Robert
In: Everett, Robert; Boyle, Godfrey; Peake, Stephen and Ramage, Janet eds. Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future (2nd edition) (pp. 571-621)
ISBN : 978-0-19-959374-3 | Publisher : Oxford University Press, in association with The Open University | Published : Oxford


Introducing Energy Systems and Sustainability (2012)
Peake, Stephen; Everett, Bob and Boyle, Godfrey
In: Everett, Bob; Boyle, Godfrey; Peake, Stephen and Ramage, Janet eds. Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future (2nd ed.) (pp. 1-34)
ISBN : 978 0 19 959374 3 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


Penalties: assessing the environmental and health impacts of energy use (2012)
Peake, Stephen; Everett, Bob; Boyle, Godfrey and Ramage, Janet
In: Boyle, Godfrey; Everett, Bob; Peake, Stephen and Ramage, Janet eds. Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future (2nd ed.) (pp. 505-569)
ISBN : 978 0 19 959374 3 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


Carbon trading: opportunities and issues (2007-08)
Peake, Stephen
In: Elliott, David ed. Sustainable Energy: Opportunities and limitations. Energy, Climate and Environment Series (pp. 190-211)
ISBN : 978 0 2300 2002 3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke, UK


Climate Change: Global Responses Under Uncertainty (2003)
Peake, Stephen
In: Blowers, Andrew and Hinchliffe, Stephen eds. Envrironmental Responses (pp. 186-235)
ISBN : 0 470 85005 1 | Publisher : John Wiley & Sons Ltd in association with The Open University


Policy options to limit CO2 emissions from electricity supply. An OECD perspective (1996)
Ellis, Jane and Peake, Stephen
In: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA ed. Symposium on electricity, health and the environment: Comparative assessment in support of decision making (pp. 93-108)
ISBN : 92-0-102496-7 | Publisher : International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) | Published : Vienna


Taking a Walk on the Demand Side (1994-05)
Peake, Stephen
In: Hope, Chris and Owens, Susan E. eds. Moving Forward: Overcoming the Obstacles to a Sustainable Transport Policy
ISBN : 978-1-874267-21-8 | Publisher : White Horse Press | Published : Cambridge


Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future (3rd ed.) (2021-07-30)
Everett, Bob; Peake, Stephen and Warren, James eds.
ISBN : 9780198767640 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford, UK


Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future (4th Ed.) (2017-11-01)
Peake, Stephen ed.
ISBN : 9780198759751 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future (2nd ed.) (2012-01)
Everett, Robert; Boyle, Godfrey; Peake, Stephen and Ramage, Janet eds.
ISBN : 978-0-19-959374-3 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


Back to the future: 15 years of quality enhancement in teaching digital photography (2022-10)
Rosewell, Jonathan and Peake, Stephen
In : Innovating Higher Education Conference 2022 (19-21 Oct 2022, Athens)


UniPad: orchestrating collaborative activities through shared tablets and an integrated wall display (2013-09-12)
Kreitmayer, Stefan; Rogers, Yvonne; Laney, Robin and Peake, Stephen
In : Ubicomp '13: 2013 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (8-12 Sep 2013, Zurich, Switzerland) (pp. 801-810)


Sharing bubbles: reflections on offline multi-surface scenarios (2013-09-08)
Kreitmayer, Stefan; Laney, Robin; Peake, Stephen and Rogers, Yvonne
In : SOFTec Workshop, UbiComp '13 Adjunct Proceedings (8 Sep 2013, Zurich, Switzerland) (pp. 1405-1408)


Zone modelling and visualisation: keys to the design of low carbon buildings (2012-07)
Hetherington, Robina; Laney, Robin and Peake, Stephen
In : 16th International Conference on Information Visualisation (IV) (11-13 Jul 2012, Montpellier, France)


From participatory to contributory simulations: changing the game in the classroom (2012-05-07)
Kreitmayer, Stefan; Rogers, Yvonne; Laney, Robin and Peake, Stephen
In : Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (05-10 May 2012, Austin, Texas, USA) (pp. 49-58)


Integrated building design, information and simulation modelling: the need for a new hierarchy (2011-11)
Hetherington, Robina; Laney, Robin; Peake, Stephen and Oldham, David
In : Building Simulation 2011 (14-16 Nov 2011, Sydney, Australia)


Designing a large multi-player simulation game to encourage critical debate (2011-10)
Kreitmayer, Stefan; Peake, Stephen; Laney, Robin and Rogers, Yvonne
In : 5th European Conference on Games Based Learning (20-21 Oct 2011, Athens, Greece)


A software vision to enable the holistic design of low carbon buildings (2011-07)
Hetherington, Robina; Laney, Robin and Peake, Stephen
In : 3rd International Workshop on Software Research and Climate Change at European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming (ECOOP) 2011 (25 Jul 2011, Lancaster, UK)


Zero and low carbon buildings: A driver for change in working practices and the use of computer modelling and visualization (2010-07)
Hetherington, Robina; Laney, Robin and Peake, Stephen
In : 14th International Conference on Information Visualisation (27-29 Jul 2010, London South Bank University, London, UK)


Software engineering challenges: Achieving zero carbon buildings by 2019 (2010-04)
Hetherington, Robina; Laney, Robin C. and Peake, Stephen
In : ACM-BCS Visions of Computer Science 2010 (13-16 Apr 2010, Edinburgh University)


What are the Capacity Gaps in e-Learning Expertise? (2007-03)
Aczel, James; Peake, Stephen and Hardy, Pascale
In : Computer Assisted Learning (CAL '07) (26-28 Mar 2007, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)


Cross-sector policy research: insights from the UK energy and transport sectors (1993)
Peake, Stephen
PhD thesis University of Cambridge


The Hero Who Overslept (2017)
Woodford, Philip and Peake, Stephen
Fringe Management Ltd, Edinburgh.


Building capacity in climate change policy analysis and negotiation: methods and technologies (2005-06-21)
Peake, Stephen; Aczel, James and Hardy, Pascale
UNITAR


Don's diary: Filming Shanghai boom (2002-08-30)
Peake, Stephen
Times Higher Education (THE)


Technology without borders: case studies of successful technology transfer (2001)
International Energy Agency, ; United Nations Energy Programme, ; Climate Technology Initiative, and Peake, Stephen
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris.


Coastal Adaptation Technologies (1999)
Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Peake, Stephen
United Nations, Bonn.


Global Transport and Energy Development: The Scope for Change (1998)
World Energy Council, ; Eads, George and Peake, Stephen
World Energy Council, London.


Trans-European Networks in Context? (1995)
Peake, Stephen
Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.


[Book Review] Envisioning Information by E.R Tufte, Conneticut: Graphics Press, 1990. (1991-03)
Peake, Stephen
The Cambridge Review, March 1991, Cambridge.


Transport policy analysis: an energy analogy (1991)
Peake, Stephen and Hope, Chris
University of Cambridge, Management Studies Group, Cambridge.