Our team
We are a small team with leadership experience in climate change policy, diplomacy, consultancy and research. We work at the research-policy interface, collaborating with governments, research institutes, and sector-expert organisations.
Simon Sharpe
Managing Director
Simon has a background in policy and diplomacy. He was Deputy Director of the UK government’s COP26 Unit, where he led international campaigns on energy, transport, land use, science and innovation. His other roles in government included leading international climate change strategy, developing the approach to clean growth in the UK’s industrial strategy, and serving as head of private office to Ministers of State for Energy and Climate Change. He also served on diplomatic postings to China and India. He has published academic papers and policy reports on climate change science, economics, and diplomacy.
His book, Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change, was listed by the Times and Financial Times as one of the best environment books of the year 2023. He is also Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team.
Personal website: fivetimesfaster.org
Caroline Humphries
Director of Operations
Caroline is an experienced operations lead with a background in project, resource and contract management. She has worked in the civil service, NHS, and voluntary sector, and as an independent contractor. During the UK’s Presidency of COP26, she led the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s COP Delivery Programme Management Office, coordinating support for COP campaigns including on energy transition and zero emission vehicles. She led the UK Government’s oversight of the Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) project to develop cutting edge complexity-based modelling solutions to support government decision making around low-carbon innovation and technological change.
Caroline enjoys start-up culture and has previously co-founded a small charity and Community Interest Company, and served as Chair of Trustees for a medium size charity.
Joe Morrisroe
Head of Industry Decarbonisation
Joe is a former-UK Civil Servant with expertise in climate policy, trade policy, strategy, and diplomacy. Most recently, he worked at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, where he led the UK’s international engagement on industry decarbonisation. During the UK’s Presidency of COP26, he was responsible for the design and diplomatic delivery of the Breakthrough Agenda, a world leader-level agreement to accelerate the innovation and deployment of clean technologies globally. Joe recently completed a Masters in Public Administration at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL.
His research has focused on how decisions to decarbonise the UK steel sector have been influenced by dominant economic theories, examining this through the lens of evolutionary economics. He has also worked for Professor Mariana Mazzucato as a researcher on industrial policy.
Anna Murphy
Policy Associate
Anna has a background in climate strategy consulting. She has delivered climate-related strategy and research projects for start-up, industry, government and development finance clients with the Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) project, as a Research Fellow at Exeter University, a Research Analyst at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose, and Senior Consultant at Nordic Sustainability. She has authored reports applying systems thinking tools to business sustainability strategy, and to infrastructure investments for climate-resilient development.
Anna holds a Masters’ in Public Administration from the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London. She also works at the World Bank engaging with ministries of finance on policymaking for low-carbon innovation and competitiveness.
“Pathways limiting global warming to 1.5°C require rapid and far-reaching transitions… These systems transitions are unprecedented in terms of scale, but not necessarily in terms of speed”
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
2018
More from s-curve
What we do
We produce analysis to inform action on the low carbon transition, using economic concepts and tools consistent with the context of rapid innovation and deep structural change. We also provide guidance and tools for others to use in making their own analysis.
Our projects
We have a particular focus on the power, road transport, and steel sectors. We also support the development and use of analytical tools appropriate for use in contexts of structural change.
Latest publications
‘A positive tipping cascade in power, transport and heating’ identifies super-leverage points in the low carbon transition. ‘Positive tipping points: five case studies to accelerate the low carbon transition’ gives more examples.
