Professor Peta Ashworth

Peta joined the University of Queensland in April, 2016. As Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures, Peta has responsibility for the Master of Sustainable Energy. She is also tasked with the role of building energy literacy more broadly and continuing her research around public perceptions of climate and energy technologies.

Peta Ashworth brings over thirty years’ experience working in a range of senior management and research roles. Peta is well known for her expertise in the energy field, communication and stakeholder engagement and technology assessment. Peta has been researching public attitudes to climate and energy technologies (wind, CCS, solar PV, geothermal) for the past ten years with a particular focus on CCS. Peta was also a scientific member of the Norther Territory Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing. She co-Chaired the Independent Advisory Panel for the Radioactive Waste Management Facility project for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. She has also been Chair of the IEA GHG Social Research Network since its inception in 2009 and has assisted in the coordination of five international research meetings of the network – Paris, Yokohama, Noosa, Calgary and Cambridge (UK). Previously, Peta conceptualised and led the Science into Society Group (SISG) within CSIRO’s Division of Earth Science and Resource Engineering, which specialised in interdisciplinary research at the interface between science and society. Peta has an interest in designing a range of dialogic processes for engaging around complex issues.

Peta is also a partner in the Horizon2020 project Responsible Research and Innovation in Practice (RRI). The RRI project brings together a unique group of international experts to understand the barriers and drivers to the successful implementation of RRI in global contexts; to promote reflection on organisational structures and cultures of research conducting and research funding organisations; and to identify best practices to facilitate the uptake of RRI in organisations and research programmes.