Thursday 13th November 2025, 13:00 – 14:00 GMT
Presenters: Adam Mackenzie-Jones, Head of the Net Zero Systems and Nick Woodroof, Net Zero Systems Analyst at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)
Webinar Overview:
Meeting the UK’s climate targets is a cross-economy challenge that requires coordinated action across multiple sectors and policy areas. It involves navigating complex interdependencies and trade-offs, often making traditional approaches to policy development and analysis insufficient.
In this webinar, Adam and Nick from the Net Zero Systems Team in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will share how their team addresses these challenges through their work to embed systems thinking into net zero and carbon budgets policy development and analysis. Since its establishment in 2021, the team has applied systems methodologies to support problem structuring and analysis, helping policymakers make better-informed decisions in a highly interconnected policy landscape.
To enable this work, the team has developed innovative tools, including the Net Zero Systems Tool, an interactive systems map of net zero sectors, which won the Operational Research Society’s President’s Medal in 2023. These tools, and the team’s systems thinking approach, are now shaping the way the UK delivers on its climate commitments.
This webinar will introduce attendees to:
- The challenges of embedding systems thinking in government policy environments
- The principles and tools the team use to tackle net zero policy challenges, including the award-winning Net Zero Systems Tool
- How these approaches can be applied across government and the team’s plans to expand into other policy areas
Presenter Biographies:
Adam Mackenzie-Jones
Adam Mackenzie-Jones is Head of the Net Zero Systems team at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, applying systems thinking to complex net zero policy challenges. He co-founded and co-chairs the cross-government Systems Thinking Interest Group (STIG), a network of over 1,000 members promoting systems thinking and best practice across government.
Nick Woodroof
Nick Woodroof is a Net Zero Systems Analyst at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). Working alongside Adam in the Net Zero Systems team, Nick delivers projects that aim to embed systems thinking into net zero policy development and analysis. With a background in social research and behavioural science, Nick brings expertise in the behavioural dimensions of complex systems.
How to Join:
This talk will take place via a Zoom Webinar – please click here to register for a place.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.