This article is the final in a four-part series introducing CCG’s new suite of tools for decarbonisation finance planning. In this instalment, Hannah Luscombe introduces Financial Modelling for Energy Transitions, a free OpenLearn course designed to help governments, analysts, and development partners turn energy transition plans into actionable, financeable strategies.
Across the world, governments are planning the transition to clean, reliable energy systems, and many face a common and critical barrier: how to pay for it. Financial Modelling for Energy Transitions, a new OpenLearn course developed by CCG, equips decision-makers with the tools and insights needed to address this challenge head-on. It offers a practical introduction to the tools and approaches that countries can use to understand the cost of their energy transition, assess financing risks, and design credible financing strategies that align with national development priorities.
From Data to Deal: Turning Plans into Action
The course is grounded in the Data-to-Deal framework. This recognises that delivering a clean energy transition requires technical knowledge and a clear understanding of how financial decisions are made and the political context they operate within, as well as knowing how to develop costed national strategies that can attract real-world finance.
Over ten lectures and ten accompanying hands-on exercises, the course guides learners through each step of that journey: identifying investment needs, understanding funding sources, quantifying financing gaps, and evaluating policy levers to close them. Along the way, learners are introduced to three open-access tools – MINFin, FinTrack and FinCoRE – that support practical, data-driven analysis.
Who is the Course for?
This course is aimed at a broad audience: government officials, policy advisors, energy planners, climate finance analysts, researchers, and development partners, as well as students or professionals entering the energy and climate space.
It’s designed to be accessible to non-specialists and explains foundational principles of climate finance from the ground up. No prior experience in financial modelling is required, though familiarity with basic energy or policy concepts will be helpful.
What Will You Learn?
The course helps learners understand and answer key financial questions, such as:
- How much will our energy transition cost, and when do those costs occur?
- What financing terms will we likely face, and how will they impact affordability?
- Are we making full use of available concessional climate finance?
- Where are our biggest financial risks, and what can we do to mitigate them?
- What combination of instruments and policy reforms can close the gap?
The course introduces key concepts in climate and energy finance, including the cost of capital, the structure and access criteria of climate finance, and methods for assessing financing gaps. It also explores how different policy, market, and institutional factors influence the affordability and bankability of national energy plans.
What’s Included?
Over approximately 15 hours of study, learners will have access to:
- 10 narrated PowerPoint lectures, available to view online or download
- 10 guided, hands-on exercises using real modelling tasks
- Quizzes following each lecture and exercise to reinforce learning
- Open-source tools used in real government planning and finance processes
Developed by experts from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London, this course is part of CCG’s growing suite of OpenLearn Create offerings designed to build capacity in climate and energy finance. It is free, self-paced, and open to all – no prerequisites or registration fees required. Learners who complete all lectures, exercises, and quizzes will receive a certificate of completion, recognising their achievement and supporting ongoing professional development.
Why This Course Matters
Despite growing global finance commitments, many countries struggle to secure or deploy concessional finance effectively. In practice, technical energy plans too often fail to translate into financeable strategies. This course is designed to change that, by building capacity, supporting in-country analysis, and enabling more locally led, finance-ready transition planning.
The models and methods presented in the course have already been used in countries such as Zambia and are increasingly being used to inform real policy and investment dialogue between governments and development partners.
Start Learning Today
Financial Modelling for Energy Transitions is now live on OpenLearn Create. Whether you’re designing a financing strategy, navigating climate finance negotiations, or strengthening your analytical skills, this course offers step-by-step guidance using real-world tools and scenarios. Start learning today and gain the skills to tackle the financial challenges of the energy transition.
Take the course: https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=14218
Download the models:
MINFin: https://github.com/MINFinModel/MINFin-Excel/tree/main?tab=readme-ov-file
FinTrack: https://zenodo.org/records/14872116