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Energy transition

A comprehensive approach to decarbonisation and equitable transition

The energy sector accounts for 85% of global greenhouse gas emissions through the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Transport and buildings alone are responsible for about 60% of energy-related emissions. While low-carbon sources are contributing record levels of energy, rapidly transforming the energy system is critical to tackling climate change.

How we transition towards cleaner technology

In the run-up to COP30 in Brazil, University of Birmingham student Izzi Davies-Friend sits down with Professor Jonathan Radcliffe to explore how we can create a more sustainable energy future. Together, they discuss evidence-based policy, public engagement, and how smarter energy use can drive the UK’s transition toward cleaner, more efficient power.

Technological solutions, market mechanisms and behavioural change are all needed, and should be considered at a systems level to effectively reduce emissions across sectors. Reducing energy demand, or shifting when we use it, will reduce overall energy costs while delivering multiple co-benefits to health and well-being. Price signals that reflect the true cost of emissions, alongside technologies such as energy storage or smart energy systems, have a key role to play, provided they are deployed equitably.

Learning from past energy transitions—such as the UK’s shift away from coal, the liberalisation of electricity markets, or the global phase-out of leaded gasoline—show that effective governance depends on adaptive and just policymaking. While international summits such as COP set the stage for cooperation, real decisions are made at the local level, by individuals, businesses, and communities. Broader public engagement is essential to empower people to make informed choices. For the clean energy transition to succeed, it must be deeply embedded in institutional mechanisms, governance systems, and regulatory frameworks—structures that ultimately shape its pace, effectiveness, and inclusivity. Achieving deep decarbonisation of the energy sector requires a joined-up, long-term approach centred on how people use energy.

From a global perspective, understanding how policy, politics, and regulation influence the energy transition is key to bridging the gap between higher-income and lower-income regions ensuring the transition is just, inclusive and leaves no one behind.

Policy Recommendations

 UK national

  • Embed evidence-based policymaking across governance scales, to draw upon rigorous scientific and historical research that captures an understanding of energy within the wider economy.
  • Engage communities and empower local decision-making to make the just transition a reality.
  • Give stronger signals to consumers, providing incentives for choices; reflect full costs through prices, but protect the most vulnerable.
  • Prioritise reducing energy demand by rewarding the installation of energy efficiency measures in buildings, and making alternatives to private road transport more affordable and accessible.
  • Invest proactively in infrastructure, coordinating across sectors to account for interdependencies.
  • Support energy innovation by investing in research and development of new solutions and improving existing technologies. Demonstrate their technical viability at scale. Explore emerging opportunities in big data and AI, while carefully managing associated privacy and security risks.

International

  • Ensure compliance with, and verification of, ambitious climate targets through regulatory bodies equipped with sufficient political power.
  • Establish a global carbon price at a level that influences investment decisions and enable international and cross sector carbon trading.
  • Support international research efforts on energy sector decarbonisation by expanding multilateral programmes and reducing barriers on researcher mobility across borders.
  • Encourage pre-commercial industrial collaboration to help companies co-develop new products and services, supported by business models that reward innovation across multiple markets.
  • Share learning on technological and non-technical approaches to energy sector decarbonisation, facilitating exchange between higher and lower-income regions.
  • Integrate climate action into the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and assess decarbonisation pathways in relation to their impact on SDG outcomes.

These recommendations are based on research led by experts at the University of Birmingham including:

  • Professor Jonathan Radcliffe

    Professor in Energy Systems and Policy

    Professor Radcliffe leads research on energy systems and policy, focusing on energy storage, innovation, and urban resilience.

  • Dr Ambi Ambituuni

    Associate Professor in Project Management

    Dr Ambituuni's research explores sustainable governance, risk, and the role of actors in sociotechnical systems.

  • Dr Daniel Donaldson

    Assistant Professor

    Dr Donaldson leads on research to enhance the planning and operation of electrical grids around the world.

  • Dr Hiroki Shin

    Associate Professor in History of Energy and Environmental Humanities

    Dr Shin's research lies in the evolution of modern energy regime at the national and global levels.

  • Liu Yang

    PhD student

    Lin Yang is researching environmental exposure and human health.