Jelte Harnmeijer

Jelte Harnmeijer serves as Founding Partner at Scene Connect, an international community energy consultancy, while holding the position of T.B. Macaulay Renewables Fellow at the James Hutton Institute. His diverse background includes growing up in sub-Saharan Africa and working across Australia, Greenland, the Himalayas, and the Pacific Northwest before settling in Scotland. As a systems thinker integrating research with practical implementation, he specializes in distributed low-carbon energy solutions and community renewables. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Astrobiology from the University of Washington, degrees from the University of Sydney, University of Cape Town, and a Master's in Economics from the University of Edinburgh. He holds concurrent fellowships in Carbon Economics and Carbon Finance at the University of Edinburgh through the Schools of Economics, Business and Geosciences. His research focuses on addressing pressing challenges such as food and fuel poverty, inequality, and global climate destabilization through community renewable energy initiatives. Beyond his academic work, he has contributed to energy policy development, working with government ministers and founding Inclusive Energy, an international off-grid ICT provider. His research achievements include publications in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Geoscience, and PNAS, demonstrating his commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions and community development.