WHO WE ARE
Ember is an independent climate think-tank focused on accelerating the global electricity transition. Founded in 2008 as Sandbag.Objective
To accelerate the global electricity transition from coal to clean.
What we do
Data into action: we gather, curate and analyse data on the global coal to clean transition, with a focus on the power sector.
We use our data and analysis to:
Support high impact, politically viable policies that accelerate the coal phase-out.
Empower campaign organisations.
Shape the global narrative on coal.
Ember in the news
We are energy professionals who are passionate about the future of the energy sector
Phil MacDonald
Chief Operating Officer
Hannah Broadbent
Head of Communications
Dave Jones
Senior Electricity Analyst
Megan Kasprzak
Junior Research Analyst
Tomos Harrison
Junior Electricity Transition Analyst
Charles Moore
European Programme Lead
Euan Graham
Electricity Tracking Analyst
Grace Alster
Junior Electricity Transition Analyst
Chris Rosslowe
Energy & Climate Data Analyst
Pete Tunbridge
Junior Electricity Tracking Analyst
Bryony Worthington
Baroness Bryony Worthington is our founder. She is a key architect of the UK’s Climate Change Act. Recent roles have included Executive Director at the Environmental Defense Fund Europe.
Matthew McFeeley
Matthew is an environmental lawyer at Richard Buxton Solicitors. He was previously an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington DC.
Harry Benham
Harry is Chair of the Board. An energy industry professional for over 30 years with BP, Shell and EY. Also Strategic Advisor on energy issues with CarbonTracker Initiative.
Who funds us
Ember is an independent, not-for-profit think tank.
You can donate to our work through The Crowd.
We gratefully acknowledge the philanthropic organisations that have funded us, including:
The European Climate Foundation
ClimateKIC
The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
WWF UK
Pool-fund on International Energy (PIE)
The Crowd
ThirtyPercy Foundation
The Environmental Defense Fund Europe
Ember’s roots go back to 2008, when Baroness Bryony Worthington saw the desperate need to shine a light on the malfunctioning EU carbon market.
Founded as Sandbag Climate Campaign, we enabled the public to buy and remove the surplus carbon allowances from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Recognising the systemic problems with the carbon market, we quickly transitioned into data-driven policy advocacy, aiming to win reform of this crucial climate policy.
Previous campaign successes
The Lignite Cash Cow – Highlighting the falling profits of German lignite plants, and tackling coal company arguments for excessive compensation
Limiting coal capacity payments: Winning a 550gCO2/kWh emissions limit, preventing European coal plants from receiving Capacity Payments from 2025.
The Last Gasp: Ongoing success revealing the health burden from European coal plants, winning new legislation to reduce power plant air pollution.
Maintaining the UK Carbon Price Support: coalition building, joint letters with industry, to maintain the UK’s top-up carbon tax and rapidly phase-out coal.
Annual European Power Sector Review: Shaping the narrative each year on the European electricity transition.
EU ETS Phase 4 reform: The key green voice in the debate which implemented the MSR and took the EU carbon price from €2 to €30.
- removing hundreds of millions of ‘unused allowances’ from the oversupplied EU ETS
- winning the introduction of the Market Stability Reserve, to lock away surplus allowances
- helping to secure a ban on polluting HFC offset credits