Prof Michael Grubb

Michael Grubb is a leading international expert on energy systems and policy responses to climate change, including the economics of energy innovation and systems transition, electricity markets, and climate finance. His wide-ranging career has combined academic positions with and applied roles including the UK Climate Change Committee, the energy regulator Ofgem, and chairing the UK government panel of technical experts on Electricity Market Reform. Recent research positions include the IPCC Sixth Assessment (Convening Lead Author, Chapter 1 Mitigation Report), leader of the Sustainability hub of the UK ESRC programme on Rebuilding Macroeconomics, and Strategic Director for the international programme on the Economics of Energy Innovation and Systems Transition. His book Planetary Economics was awarded the 2021 Marcel Boiteux prize for “outstanding book contributing to energy economics and its literature” by International Association for Energy Economics.

Prof Grubb joined UCL in 2014 alongside his role at Ofgem, and in 2017 became full time Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the Institute of Sustainable Resources, where is also Deputy Director. Prior to these positions, he was Chief Economist at the Carbon Trust and part-time Senior Research Associate in Economics at Cambridge University, and Chair of the international research network/interface organisation Climate Strategies. These conjoined appointments followed 10 years at Chatham House where he led the Energy and Environment programme. In 2000, he founded the Climate Policy journal and remained Editor-in-Chief until 2016.

From 2008-11 Prof Grubb served on the UK Climate Change Committee, established under the UK Climate Change Act to advise the government on future carbon budgets and to report to Parliament on their implementation, and stepped down to take up his role at Ofgem advising on the transition of the UK electricity system. Author of eight books, Prof Grubb’s written contributions include more than sixty full journal research articles with 100 other works published in academic journals and major reports, alongside numerous other publications. The book Planetary Economics: energy, climate change and the Three Domains of Sustainable Development (Routledge 2014), brought together insights from 25 years of research and implementation of energy and climate policies.