ARU's distinctive contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 7 lies in our internationally recognised research on the social, behavioural and policy dimensions of energy systems.
While technological innovation is essential for global transitions to clean energy, the success of the energy transition also depends on how people, communities, businesses and policymakers engage with new energy technologies and changing patterns of consumption.
We've established ourselves as a leading centre for research exploring the human dimensions of energy transitions, combining expertise in sustainability, behaviour change, policy, governance and citizen participation. This work helps ensure that the transition to clean energy is not only technically feasible, but also socially acceptable, equitable and effective.
SHARED GREEN DEAL: Helping to achieve green transitions in Europe
Since 2022, ARU has led the €5 million Horizon Europe SHARED GREEN DEAL project, which runs until 2027. The project works across eight Green Deal policy areas, including clean energy, using social science methods, community engagement and real-world social experiments to understand how behavioural and societal change can accelerate sustainability transitions. Bringing together 22 organisations across Europe, the initiative supports local and regional action while generating evidence to inform climate and energy policy. The Clean Energy work stream has specifically brought together citizens with local policy makers to co-create community visions of desirable energy futures. These visioning exercises have helped to create significant local impact in the case study areas, as well as informing broader EU level policy making on clean energy transitions through a community-led approach.
Energy-SHIFTS: Exploring the role of energy social sciences and humanities for European policy making
Between 2019 and 2021, ARU's Global Sustainability Institute led the €1 million Energy-SHIFTS project, which sought to strengthen the role of social sciences and humanities research in European energy policymaking. Bringing together more than 100 researchers from across Europe, the project examined issues including renewable energy, smart energy consumption, energy efficiency and sustainable transport. By helping policymakers better understand how people interact with energy systems, Energy-SHIFTS generated evidence to support a more socially informed transition to a low-carbon future and strengthened dialogue between researchers, policymakers and energy-sector stakeholders.
EnergyREV: Exploring the potential of smart local energy systems
ARU researchers contributed to EnergyREV (Energy Revolution), a UK-wide research programme established to explore how smart local energy systems can help communities access cleaner, cheaper and more efficient energy services. The project examined the social, behavioural and governance challenges associated with decentralised energy systems, helping to ensure that future energy transitions are designed around the needs of communities as well as technological innovation. Specifically, Dr Melanie Rohse acted as Co-Investigator on the project, for User Engagement, Preferences and Behaviour, supporting the development of tools and methods to investigate user engagement with new technologies.
SHAPE-ENERGY: Building capacity for energy social sciences and humanities at the heart of energy policy-making
From 2017 to 2019, ARU led the Horizon 2020 SHAPE-ENERGY project. This initiative created a European platform connecting energy researchers, policymakers and industry stakeholders to explore how social sciences and humanities can support energy transitions. The project helped place issues such as citizen participation, energy justice, public engagement and behaviour change more firmly within European energy policy discussions.
EEIST: Modelling approaches to accelerate low carbon investment
ARU contributed to Phase I of the EEIST (Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition) project, an international research programme established in 2020 to create decision-making frameworks, principles for policymaking, and modelling for the low carbon transition. In Phase I, the project supported evidence-based policymaking by improving understanding of how investment, technology deployment and policy interventions interact during the transition to clean energy systems.
Energy PIECES: Creating opportunities for early-career women researchers in energy policymaking
Between 2018 and 2021, ARU led the Energy-PIECES project, which created opportunities for PhD and early-career researches working in energy social sciences and humanities topics. The project included an energy policy masterclass on the potential of these research fields to contribute to energy policy making, followed by a series of paid secondments for researchers to be placed with host organisations including the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Policy, the Energy Saving Trust, Energy Cities and EDF Energy. Each secondment resulted in the production of written reports that directly dealt with a specific energy-related problem faced by the secondment hosts.
Energy SHINES: bringing new voices into energy transitions (2023-2024)
Delivered between 2023 and 2024, Energy SHINES (Energy Social Sciences and Humanities Insights for Non-Energy Sectors) was led by ARU in partnership with the University of Cambridge and funded by the UK Energy Research Centre. The project was established to bring social sciences and humanities perspectives to the energy-related challenges faced by organisations outside the traditional energy sector as they transition to net zero. A distinctive feature of Energy SHINES was its focus on amplifying the expertise of women researchers, recognising that energy-transition debates have often been dominated by technical disciplines and male voices. Working with partners including the UK Government, NHS, Yorkshire Water, Cambridgeshire County Council and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the project explored energy-related challenges in areas such as healthcare, water services, housing, local government and transport.
The project convened more than 30 women doctoral researchers through a national policy workshop in February 2023 and subsequently supported specialist research placements within partner organisations. The resulting policy recommendations addressed issues including energy use in water services, low-carbon housing, sustainable travel and the environmental impacts of digital healthcare. In recognition of its contribution to diversity and inclusion within sustainability research, Energy SHINES was highly commended in the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in Sustainability category at the 2023 Green Gown Awards. Through its emphasis on social innovation, gender equity and practical policy impact, Energy SHINES exemplifies ARU's distinctive approach to energy research, placing people and communities at the centre of the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy systems.
Last updated: October 2026
To request additions, corrections or changes to the information in these pages, please contact: Dr Zareen Bharucha: [email protected]. Please use the subject line ‘ARU SDG’.