The political economy of the energy transition

From January to March 2026, Neil McCulloch, TPP director, coordinated three webinars looking at the political economy of the energy transition with support from the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice. While there has been much discussion of the technical aspects of the energy transition, there has been much less analysis of the political economy dimensions that affect the transition in the Global South. The webinars brought together leading thinkers, experts, practitioners, and development partners working on the issue. Each webinar examined a different aspect of the topic and was hosted by an organisation with particular expertise on the issue. 

The Political Economy of Country Platforms: On 15 January 2026, ODI Global hosted a webinar looking at the challenges associated with designing and implementing effective country platforms (such as Just Energy Transition Partnerships). The key takeaways from this webinar can be found here.

The Political Economy of Carbon Pricing: On 19 February 2026, the International Institute for Sustainable Development hosted a webinar looking at why carbon pricing remains so politically difficult and what kinds of strategies have been most effective in different contexts. The key takeaways from this webinar can be found here. 

The Political Economy of Gender and Energy: On 5 March 2026, the energy and gender network (ENERGIA) hosted a webinar which discussed the changes in the political priorities of development partners regarding gender and social inclusion (GESI) and the strategies that practitioners have used to embed GESI within national energy institutions. The key takeaways from this webinar can be found here.