Dr Steve Smith
About
Steve Smith leads two major climate research initiatives based at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, focusing on net zero and greenhouse gas removal.
Oxford Net Zero provides research on achieving global net zero emissions, delivering information and advice to policymakers and business - and tracking their progress. Meanwhile, CO2RE is a multi-disciplinary hub for research focused on removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, encouraging and evaluating demonstration projects around the UK.
Each initiative is multi-disciplinary and brings together leading researchers from around the university. CO2RE also involves colleagues from seven other universities in the UK.
Steve specialises in climate science and policy. He joined the university from the UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where he co-headed the Climate Science Team and was involved in legislating net zero target. His doctorate is in atmospheric physics.
Expertise
- Climate change
- Net zero
- Greenhouse gas removal
- UK climate policy
Selected publications
Media experience
I have written articles and provided quotes for a wide variety of media outlets, as well as being interviewed for local television news.
Recent media work
- ANALYSIS-Scarce carbon storage threatens net-zero push as emissions keep rising
- Airlines must reduce emissions instead of offsetting, say experts
- COP26: Huge spike in UK businesses making net-zero pledges, but many targets fail quality control
- Climate change: six priorities for pulling carbon out of the air
- Net zero: despite the greenwash, it’s vital for tackling climate change
