Ask the Expert: Decarbonisation in practice – energy transition and cost control in local government Tue, 9 Jun

Local government has a critical role to play in delivering the UK’s energy transition — but councils are increasingly navigating a more complex and constrained environment.

Drawing on new LGIU research conducted with Commercial Services Group (CSG), this free session will explore how local authorities across England and Wales are adapting energy and climate strategies in response to growing financial, operational, and system pressures.

Based on insights from elected members and officers working across climate, environment, and energy portfolios, the discussion will examine the widening gap between ambition and delivery, the practical realities councils face on the ground, and what is needed to support a more resilient and achievable transition.

As councils move beyond early-stage interventions into more complex and capital-intensive projects, many are recalibrating timelines, priorities, and expectations — not because ambition has disappeared, but because delivery conditions have fundamentally changed.

This session will bring together local government leaders and sector experts to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and policy changes needed to accelerate progress.

Key discussion areas will include:

• Findings from LGIU’s latest research with councils across England and Wales.
• The growing delivery challenges facing local authorities on energy transition projects.
• How councils are adapting strategies and priorities in response to funding and capacity pressures.
• The role of solar energy in local authority plans and its limitations.
• Identifying what national and local changes are needed to support delivery at scale

Speakers

	Jon Gleek Head of Research, LGIU
	Eamon Grimes Managing Director, Energy & Carbon, LASER
	Dan Godley, Researcher, LGIU
Cassidy Travis, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, London Borough of Lambeth