Sofia Simões

Senior Researcher

Sofia is a researcher on energy systems with experience in both the research and the private sector, both in Portugal and abroad. Her work focuses on low carbon energy systems, namely on energy technological transitions, new policy approaches, as well as on the vulnerability and adaptation of energy systems to climate change. She is an experienced project manager with robust skills on quantitative analysis, effective communication of results and stakeholder engagement processes including national, regional and local authorities.

Within the last 15 years she has developed and used energy systems models for policy support for the Portuguese Ministries of Economy and of the Environment, such as for the Impact Assessment of the EU climate and energy targets for Portugal for 2020, the National Climate Change Programme and the Low Carbon Roadmap Portugal, among other. She was a national expert representing Portugal on the bilateral consultations with IIASA on the development of baselines within the CAFE EU Programme.

She has cooperated in several national and EU research projects on energy-economy-environment modelling (TIMES energy system model) at EU, national and urban level. She has worked as a researcher for the European Commission – Joint Research Centre Institute for Energy and Transport modelling the EU energy system. She has a PhD from Leiden University (NL) where she studied interactions between energy and environment policies. She has a MSc. in Environmental Management and Policy from Lund University (SE). Her BSc Degree is in Environmental Engineering from NOVA University.

Sofia has 15 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and more than 30 publications in peer-reviewed conferences.