Michael Grubb
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A future agenda for climate policy.

Recent publications and activities

Bio

About Michael Grubb

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 Strategiesboth 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, Trade, and Industry

Including design of the EU ETS and industrial competitiveness, international carbon price coordination, carbon leakage and consumption footprints

Regional (e.g. EU, Asia) Studies

Region-specific studies, including EU and post-Brexit relationships, and Asian studies

Energy Innovation and Transitions

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

Climate Finance and Investment

Growing body of work related to climate finance and investment in climate-related endeavours

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