Techno-optimism alone won’t fix climate change

Posted on by Ruby Loughman — No Comments ↓
Photo by Fré Sonneveld on Unsplash

This blog post was originally published by the Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC), 2 May 2025, written by Professor Mari Martiskainen.

Ex-prime minister Tony Blair was making headlines this week by saying that current Net Zero policies are ‘doomed to fail’. In a new report by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), he argues that voters “feel they’re being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know the impact on global emissions is minimal”. It is an unprecedented call from a former prime minister whose party has been leading climate action in the UK. I will pick up on three key points in relation to the importance of climate action.

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Posted in All Posts, Energy and Society, Energy Governance and Policy, Just and Sustainable Transitions to Net Zero

Transparency and power in energy policy making

Posted on by Matthew Lockwood — No Comments ↓

Last week, the Prime Minister confirmed funding for two carbon capture projects in Merseyside and Teesside, and he and the Chancellor made a headline commitment to £21.7 billion of support for carbon capture and storage (CCS) over the next 25 years. This long-term commitment represents continuity from the position of the previous Conservative government, which, in 2023, pledged £20 billion over 20 years.

The announcement of project funding today is actually the culmination of a long process going back to the 2021 Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, and before that to the revival of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) in the wake of a disastrous cancellation of a demonstration project in 2015. 

This blog post is not about CCUS itself. Rather, it is about how much information about how policy decisions are made, including those about CCUS, is put in the public domain. In the period since 2015, energy policy making has become worryingly less transparent.

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Posted in Energy Governance and Policy

Emma Pinchbeck to deliver our 2024 Keynote Lecture

Posted on by Richard Flockemann — No Comments ↓

We are delighted to announce that Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of Energy UK, will deliver the 2024 Sussex Energy Group Keynote Lecture!

Get your ticket
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Posted in Energy Governance and Policy

Making Sussex a Net Zero region: local council and stakeholder workshop

Posted on by Siobhan Stack-Maddox — No Comments ↓
Prof Mari Martiskainen presents the Energy Demand Research Centre to workshop attendees. Photo by Stuart Robinson, University of Sussex

Recently, over 40 Officers and Members from Local Councils in the Greater Brighton area and other relevant stakeholders came together with University of Sussex energy policy and analysis experts. During a half-day workshop, they discussed challenges and opportunities relating to a regional strategic approach to energy supply and demand investment for Net Zero.

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Posted in All Posts, Conferences and events, Energy demand and behaviour, Energy efficiency and energy security

Sussex Energy Group’s response to the Governments call for evidence on reforming electricity markets

Posted on by Richard Flockemann — No Comments ↓

By Dr Malte Jansen, Prof Steve Sorrell and Siobhán Stack-Maddox

To meet the UK’s net zero goals, the electricity system must decarbonise by 2035 while accommodating a 50% increase in electricity demand. Shifting towards intermittent wind and solar generation – while at the same time avoiding supply interruptions and minimising costs to consumers – represents an unprecedented challenge. This transition will require far-reaching changes in the design and operation of electricity markets, alongside substantial support for emerging low-carbon technologies. The ongoing Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) provides a cornerstone of the UK Government’s response to these challenges.

Earlier this month, the Sussex Energy Group gave some input into these plans by responding to a call for evidence – input that we hope the UK Government takes into account. Here’s a summary of what we said. 

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The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the individual authors and do not represent Sussex Energy Group.

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