Author: Dr. Gordon Inglis
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From the Waterfront Campus to Whitehall!
The UK is committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and has introduced a broad range of decarbonisation strategies. However, meeting this target demands effective collaboration between scientists and policymakers. Through the Royal Society Policy Associate Scheme1, I recently had the opportunity to work across the science-policy interface and explore how evidence-based science can inform real-world policy decisions.
Between January and August 2025, I spent two days per week on secondment in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) – the government department responsible for UK energy security, protecting billpayers and reaching net zero2. DESNZ is a large government department (~5,000 individuals3) that oversees areas from renewable energy and energy efficiency to industrial decarbonisation.
Each government Department is organised into several Directorates that have specific functions. I was based in the Energy Security and Resilience directorate which is responsible for ensuring the security and resilience of the UK’s energy system, both now and into the future. My role involved researching what role the UK refining sector currently plays in the production of low carbon fuels and what it could do in the future. Low carbon fuels are liquid fuels developed using a range of sustainable feedstocks that have lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels. In the coming decades, some sectors (e.g. road transport) will require less liquid fuel due to increasing electrification. However, liquid fuels will continue to remain essential for hard-to-decarbonise sectors, including the aviation and maritime sector.
I joined the Energy Security and Resilience directorate at a critical time for the UK refining sector. At the start of 2024, the UK had six operational oil refineries. However, by the end of my secondment, only four remained. The closure of two refineries in the last 18 months prompted considerable ministerial engagement and gave me a fascinating insight into how government responds to real-time challenges in the energy sector.
There were many highlights during my secondment. In the final weeks of my placement, I helped contribute to a ministerial briefing note — a short, structured document designed to support decision-making. Although my contribution was modest, it was rewarding to play a small part in shaping real-world policy. I was also able to shadow the DESNZ Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Paul Monks for the day. Each governmental department has a Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) and their main role is to ensure that the government is provided with robust, relevant and high quality scientific evidence – I learnt that this is one of the most direct ways that academics can contribute to major policy decisions.
I left the civil service with many new skills, including the ability to communicate more effectively with non-specialists. I also observed a wide range of different leadership styles and enjoyed the shorter but more structured meetings – anything over 30 minutes is considered very long! DESNZ was also a very welcoming environment, and I hope to stay in touch with everyone.
My time at DESNZ illustrated how academics have a crucial role to play in translating complex science into actionable policy — and that working across this interface can be both challenging and deeply rewarding.
- https://royalsociety.org/grants/
- About us - Department for Energy Security and Net Zero - GOV.UK
- DESNZ headcount and payroll data for July 2025 - GOV.UK
About the author: Dr Gordon Inglis is a Principal Research Fellow and Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow in the School of Ocean and Earth Science at the University of Southampton.
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