Using a European energy system model, this research compares pathways to climate neutrality by 2050. Focusing on land transport, it shows that electric vehicles are already the cheapest system-wide option, even without emission limits. Early investment in electric car infrastructure accelerates decarbonization and reduces long-term costs across Europe.

Transdisciplinary research approaches to climate change mitigation are being used more often given their strengths in collaboration, knowledge integration and collective decision making. Such approaches warrant more attention to understand how diverse teams produce knowledge and practice problem-solving. My thesis research explores the strengths and challenges of transdisciplinary research to offer future avenues for team collaboration and policy decision–making processes.

This research examines how vulnerable communities can finance renewable energy transitions without relying on fossil fuel industries. By analyzing international climate finance agreements, it proposes fairer, more accessible funding structures that empower marginalized regions—such as the Niger Delta—to pursue clean energy while addressing climate justice and inequality.

Using cake as an analogy, this research explains how buried sandstones can store naturally heated water for geothermal energy. By studying rock outcrops, cores, and microscopic structures, the work assesses sandstone quality to unlock reliable, renewable heat for buildings—available year-round as a low-carbon energy source.

This research redesigns long wind-turbine blades for low-wind-speed sites by shifting structural strength from the internal spar to the aerodynamic shell. The new “eggshell-like” design reduces bending under the blade’s own weight, requires less material, and lowers costs—helping make wind power cheaper than fossil fuels without relying on political action.

This research improves the lifespan of sodium-metal batteries, a cheaper and greener alternative to lithium-ion cells for renewable energy storage. By replacing copper with zinc as the supporting material, sodium forms smooth, stable deposits, extending battery life 15-fold. This innovation could deliver affordable, sustainable grid-scale energy storage.