Pelin Zorlu

Senior Research Fellow Lead, Climate and Energy, Environment and Society Centre

Headshot of Pelin Zorlu

Biography

Pelin leads the Climate and Energy team at the Environment and Society Centre in Chatham House. 

She has previously held senior roles across the UK government, including DESNZ, the FCDO–BEIS International Energy Unit, and the Cabinet Office. She led the UK G7 Presidency Climate Team, delivering major UK International Climate Finance technical assistance programmes. 

Pelin also worked at IGES Japan and E3G focusing on sustainable finance, climate diplomacy, power sector decarbonisation and innovation. 

Pelin is originally from Istanbul, Turkey, and holds a MA in environmental politics from Kings’ College London where she studied as a UK Chevening Scholar and a MA in ecology from Middle East Technical University, Ankara.

Past experience

2013-17 / 2020-26UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ, former BEIS and DECC)
Various roles including Office of Carbon Capture and Storage, International Climate Finance, FCDO-BEIS International Energy Unit, UK G7 Presidency
2023-2024UK Cabinet Office National Security Secretariat, Climate and Nature (on loan from DESNZ)
2018-2020E3G Japan, Clean Energy Transition Diplomacy
2017-2018IGES (The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies) Japan, Sustainable Finance Taskforce
2007-2013E3G London 
Various research roles, including low carbon innovation, power sector decarbonisation, and climate diplomacy