Climate change is not only a scientific concern but also a political, economic and social one. In October 2022, a United Nations report warned that only an “urgent system-wide transformation” to a global lower carbon economy can deliver the vast cuts to greenhouse gas emissions needed by 2030 if we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change. But while there is agreement on the scale of cuts needed, there is no agreement on how to get there. Countries have different plans and priorities, reflecting the different pressures they are under, whether it is internal politics, energy dependencies, and uneven finances, resources and living standards. This does not need to be an impediment to climate goals as there are many ways to limit warming. The danger is that countries may want to prioritise their preferences and promote them as universal solutions. Meeting this critical global challenge will thus require these disparate approaches and pressures to be coordinated to deliver the scale of cuts needed. So, what is driving the differing approaches around the world? What scope is there to better coordinate them, and how can stakeholders collaborate with each other at various levels?

There are accelerating breakthroughs in science and technology related to climate change and energy transition, including exponential growth in deployable wind and solar energy, advances in carbon capture and utilisation, and the emergence of a rapidly growing hydrogen technology. However, their adoption and dissemination require institutional support and community acceptance.

This conference on climate change and energy transition, co-organised by leading universities and industry partners in different parts of the world, offers an excellent opportunity for dialogue amongst policymakers, academics and industry leaders to discuss and debate what their roles are and what needs to be done to coordinate different pathways to enable us to get there. It aims to shed light on global perspectives and local actions to mitigate the effects of climate change. It challenges existing views and aims to discover options in different parts of the world. It also explores the role of technological innovation in carbon capture and renewable energy and the feasibility of their adoption and dissemination.