Governance and Equity

This thematic area is all about people, policy and planning. We examine how energy access affects people, how they should be meaningfully included in energy access planning and policy, and how planning decisions—such as where infrastructure is designed or located—and related policies shape local communities, economies, and broader development outcomes. Our key goals are to expand access, advance justice find energy planning, and strengthen domestic agency and capacity. 

We view access not just in silos but in an integrated way, considering the socio-economic dimensions of energy—such as affordability, reliability and equity. This allows us to inform energy decision-making that accounts for both infrastructure constraints and broader development objectives. 

Using mixed-methods approaches we consider how policy, people and planning interrelate across scales – from international to national and local – to drive inclusive energy access outcomes. We engage with diverse stakeholder networks including academic institutions, national governments, civil society, local traditional leaders, and communities.

Spotlights

Decentralisation 

We are supporting the transition to devolved energy planning which better accounts for local needs and can promote inclusive, appropriate access. 

In Kenya, we have supported the development of frameworks to aggregated county-level plans into national level plans in an inclusive way, and have looked at energy access in different settings. 

• We mapped how data for energy planning flows between national and subnational level to facilitate energy planning.
• We investigated how Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, and climate adaptation can be accounted for in County Energy Plans, and identified the minimum data requirements to do so.
• We work with diverse stakeholders to understand energy access in informal settlements using energy models, system dynamics and participatory methods 
• We designed a mechanism for county energy plans to be aggregated into an actionable national-level plan. [Add link to EED work]

Key stakeholders for this work include the ministry of energy, county energy directors, civil society organisations, the energy utility, local communities and development programmes.

In Zambia, we are supporting the government’s efforts to devolve the energy sector, bringing decision-making closer to communities and strengthening local capacity.

• We worked with the Decentralisation Secretariat and the Ministry of Energy to develop national guidelines for devolving the energy sector to the county level.
• We piloted guidelines in one district, where we conducted a baseline assessment of energy service needs, developed a district-level energy plan integrated into the development plan. This was achieved through the appointment of district energy planners and ward development committee leaders to inform a national rollout.

Key stakeholders in this work include traditional leaders, the Decentralisation Secretariat, the Ministry of Energy, local governments, and communities.

Justice and Energy Transition Planning (JaETP)

In Ghana and Kenya, we are investigating the extent to which justice perspectives are, and can be, incorporated in developing energy transition plans, and establishing climate compatible energy infrastructure. This project also examines how international and national collaborations shape energy transition planning. We are conducting interviews with key stakeholders, ranging from civil society to community and government officials, to understand how international notions of energy transition planning and pathways are filtered through domestic decision-making processes in a way that enhances or inhibits just transitions. The key questions underpinning this project are:

• How are justice perspectives considered in planning energy transitions and establishing climate conscious energy infrastructures?
• How do transnational actors shape energy transition planning in Africa, and how are these plans integrated into broader development agendas?
• How can energy transitions be planned in a way that is contextually relevant whilst enhancing domestic agency?

In this project, we work with the Brew Hammond Energy Centre at KNUST, Ghana.

Grounded AI-Enhanced Energy Demand Estimation

We are pioneering new ways to predict latent energy demands. This research combines user-perceived values with artificial intelligence methods to predict the uptake of diverse energy services – from lighting and cooking to solar irrigation and cooling – using scalable demographic and geospatial data. 

Through perception-based surveys and predictive models, we capture what energy services people need and why—helping ensure that energy interventions are targeted where they can have the greatest impact. By targeting energy services to match local needs, values, and context, their likelihood of uptake and benefit is increased.

We work to reveal underserved communities and pockets of vulnerability that traditional planning often misses. This approach brings local values directly into system planning, enabling more equitable and efficient energy investments. The result is smarter, demand-driven energy planning that accelerates inclusive access and strengthens resilience. This work is supported by both CCG and a Schmidt AI in Science fellowship.

Introduction

The transition to a low-carbon future requires rapid deployment of technologies, significant financial investment, and increased use of natural resources, such as minerals, land and water. This transition will have far-reaching impacts for society, economies, and ecosystems. 

In this thematic area, we explore how this transition can be achieved in a manner that is inclusive, equitable, and leaves no one behind, specifically we:

• Examine the social, economic, and environmental implications of transitions for different communities, industries, and ecosystems. 

• Seek to understand the linkages between different resource 
• Inform policy in the countries we work in and support an enabling political, economic and technical environment for its effective implementation.

We adopt a systems perspective that connects different sectors, policy domains, and stakeholders, paying particular attention to the needs of marginalised and vulnerable communities. We are also committed to demand-led research, collaborating with our in-country partners to ensure our work is stakeholder-driven and locally relevant.

Spotlights

Critical minerals – Critical minerals are increasingly topical in the academic, policy and development spheres. Their need as a raw material for various  technologies associated with the low carbon transition (e.g. wind turbines, lithium-ion batteries, solar PV panels etc) means their sustainable extraction is an important systems consideration. This theme examines various social, environmental and economic aspects of the critical minerals discussion. Recent examples of studies include an exploration of the sustainability of artisanal and small-scale mining, with a focus on the developmental benefits that can arise from their full inclusion in policy and practice (see ASM). Additionally, a study conducted with local partner Green Earth Solutions explored the potential opportunities and challenges, of greater in country value addition in Zambia’s mining value chain.

Land-Use – Understanding land-use change is essential for fostering an enabling environment for climate-compatible growth, as it directly influences greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem services, and the resilience of communities to climate impacts. By integrating land-use considerations and strategic land management into policy and planning, governments and stakeholders can better align economic development with environmental sustainability, ensuring that growth trajectories are both climate-resilient and socially inclusive. In Zambia, CCG researchers have examined interconnections between the drivers of land-use change – including fuel production, expansion of agriculture, mining and infrastructure, climate change and ecosystem restoration efforts. A conceptual model and open-source Excel tool are being used to facilitate stakeholder dialogues to improve policy coherence regarding land (see pre-print), while stakeholder-informed research provides insights on critical links between climate, land, energy and water (working paper). Further research is  investigating land governance processes for renewable energy and carbon market projects.

Levelised production cost for green commodities (Geo-X) – Effective decarbonisation depends on balancing technical and socioeconomic aspects with natural resource potential (e.g. solar irradiance, wind speed, hydrology) and locational conditions. CCG researchers have developed a GIS-based tool to assess locational levelised production costs for green commodities, with a focus on green hydrogen and ammonia. The python-based tool is publicly available (see online repository) and designed for ease of use from the user point of view. Current applications include a quantitative analysis of the cost needed to deploy the ammonia industry in Africa to supply the continental fertiliser demand considering different demand scenarios.

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