Geoff is a Lecturer in Environmental Law at the School of Law, University of Stirling, a Researcher in Global Energy Transitions at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning,
University of Dundee, and Guest Lecturer in Energy and Environmental Governance at Glasgow Caledonian University. He holds a PhD in low carbon energy governance and optimizing deployment from the Centre for Energy Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) and an MSc in renewable energy and environmental modelling from the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, both from the University of Dundee, and a BSc (Hons) in Ecological Geography and Conservation from Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge.
An interdisciplinary energy and environmental law, policy and governance specialist, his research and teaching focuses on energy transitions law, investigating the development of legal and governance frameworks to optimise sustainable energy and environmental policy delivery
in terms of environmental, social, economic, political and technological outcomes. Research
interests include energy law and governance pertaining to renewable energy, low carbon energy and fossil fuels (including unconventional hydrocarbons and CCS), sustainable and just energy
system transitions, the role of public participation and engagement (e.g. in terms of decision making, access to information, ownership, risk management, planning); understanding new 12 models of government-stakeholder partnerships in energy and environmental governance,
multi-level governance, devolution and constitutional law, energy storage, hydrogen, systems theory, sustainable development and climate change law and policy.
Geoff has published extensively on energy and environmental issues, with over 40 articles, books, book chapters and other publications. In addition to publishing three books: The Palgrave Handbook of Managing Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions (2019), A Critical review of Scottish Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Policy (2017) and Renewable Energy Policy in Scotland (2010), he is co-editing 5 books: ‘low carbon energy transitions in Latin America’ (Palgrave, 2021), ‘future research agendas in energy’ (Edward Elgar, 2021), ‘social license to operate and energy transitions’ (Palgrave, 2021), ‘zero carbon energy systems and energy transitions’ (Palgrave, 2022) and ‘energy poverty and energy transitions’ (Palgrave, 2023).
Recent research includes investigating global energy poverty, exploring the impact of austerity
on environmental decision making in Scotland, a critical analysis of policy risk and politics on
low carbon energy deployment in the UK and Scotland, the role of definitions in renewable and low carbon energy governance, and a case study approach to the governance of shale gas. In addition to academia, Geoff is Series Editor of the major new Palgrave Studies in Energy Transitions handbook series (forthcoming, Palgrave 2021), Co-Series Editor for the ‘Energy,
Climate and Environment’ book series (Palgrave), and Editor-in-Chief for the ‘Encyclopedia of
Renewable and Low carbon Energy’ (forthcoming, Palgrave). He is also the founder and
Director of Academic Proofreading and Editing Solutions.
Previously Geoff has been a Lecturer in International Energy Law and Policy at Stirling University Law School (2014-2020), and a researcher, research fellow and independent consultant for various organisations including University of Stirling, University of Dundee, CEPMLP, Extractives Hub, Offshore Renewable Institute, Royal Society of Edinburgh and Scottish Government. Further, he is a member of the Energy Poverty Research initiative (EPRi), an independent organisation launched in 2017 as a step towards establishing a Scottish cross-sector centre for excellence in energy poverty research.
Geoff teaches Climate change and carbon management; Downstream energy law and policy; Energy and climate change; Energy law and policy; Environmental law; International law and sustainable development; Introduction to renewable energy technology; Low carbon energy 13
law; Marine Energy; Planning law; Regulating social corporate responsibility; Research methods; and Sustainability.