A future agenda for climate policy.
Recent publications and activities
Climate change progress and paradox
19 Dec 2023
COPped out? The Global Stocktake on Mitigation and the road to Belem
19 Dec 2023
UCL Series Navigating the Energy - Climate Crises: ‘Separating electricity from gas prices'
20 Nov 2022 | The Big Picture
Carbon Leakage, Consumption, and Trade
12 Oct 2022 | Carbon Pricing
The New Economics of Energy Innovation and Transition / 10 Principles
5 Oct 2022 | Energy Innovation
Indian Public Lectures on Planetary Economics and Energy Transition, 5-6 November
28 Aug 2022 | Regional Studies
Bio
About Michael Grubb
Michael Grubb is Professor of Energy and Climate Change at University College London. Since leading the Energy and Environmental Programme at Chatham House in the 1990s, his career has combined a wide range of energy systems and climate change research with half-time implementation roles. Prior to UCL, he was employed at Imperial College London (Engineering and Environment) and then Cambridge University (Economics), conducting research alongside positions at the UK Carbon Trust (as Chief Economist, to 2010), the Energy Regulator, Ofgem (Senior Advisor, 2011-16), and subsequently chairing the UK government’s independent Panel of Technical Experts on Electricity Market Reform (2016-19).
Overview
Energy in The Climate Crisis
This site provides a window into leading research on the role of energy in climate change. Energy is vital to human development and welfare – but the burning of fossil fuels, across industrial production, buildings and transport, contributes at least two thirds of the emissions driving climate change. Decarbonising those systems is a challenge of unprecedented scale and complexity, at all levels of society. Drawing on a long and varied career in the field, spanning academia and practical experience, this site offers a window into what I have learned, and contributed.
Routes into the now-huge span of policy-oriented academic research, in addition to the IPCC Mitigation Assessments, include the Climate Policy journal, and the research network Climate Strategies, both of which I have had the privilege of contributing to along the way.
Publication Topics
The Big Picture and Special Topics
The nature of energy-climate change challenges: socio-economic fundamentals, global modelling and policy strategies
Carbon Pricing
Including design of the EU ETS and industrial competitiveness, international carbon price coordination, carbon leakage and consumption footprints
Energy Innovation
Innovation processes in energy technologies and systems, transition dynamics and associated policies
International Processes
Global negotiations under the UN Framework Convention (UNFCCC), lessons and legacy of Kyoto Protocol, challenges of international coordination, Paris Agreement and Glasgow Breakthrough agenda
Electricity Markets and Renewables
Electricity markets design especially UK and EU: price, risk, transition, energy crisis and market reform. Integration of variable renewables including security, capacity adequacy and interconnection
Regional (e.g. EU, Asia) Studies
Region-specific studies, including EU and post-Brexit relationships, and Asian studies
Planetary Economics
by Michael Grubb, with Jean-Charles Hourcade and Karsten Neuhof
The book is compulsory reading for policymakers and academics for understanding the broader challenges of environmental change. What makes the book such an outstanding contribution is the way it brings together the fields of energy, environment, innovation, behavioural economics and macroeconomics. Its key policy message is a timely call for policymakers to act decisively, so that our societies can have the confidence to invest and innovate in solving the great environmental challenges of our time. — Marcel Fratzscher, President, German Institute for Economic Research
Outreach
Climate change progress and Paradox
Despite scepticism, parts of the world have been making real progress on cutting emissions. But the latest push for carbon pricing has fallen flat. Its advocates need to learn from the accumulated evidence – and recalibrate fast.
COPped out? The Global Stocktake on Mitigation and and its implications
The Mitigation section of UEA Consensus on the Global Stocktake avoids the issue that should lie at the heart of a robust international agreement: what should be done if the “nationally determined” offers don’t add up to the agreed goals (they don’t – as acknowledged) and won’t (as is obvious). Understanding why is crucial for understanding what the COP can and cannot do – and hence the need to look beyond.
Discussions on REMA: Splitting the wholesale market
Following on from their first REMA seminar in May where Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP) was...
OIES Podcast – Electricity (re) Design and ‘Split Markets’ – Part 2
In this podcast, David Ledesma again talks to Professor Michael Grubb of UCL and Malcolm Keay of...