Noel Longhurst

Noel Longhurst is an Associate Professor in Energy & Climate Change at the University of East Anglia’s School of Environmental Sciences. He is a member of multiple research centres including the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE). His work focuses on systemic change for sustainability, energy transitions, and the interplay between sustainability, energy, and political economy. He holds administrative roles such as Deputy Teaching Director and ENV Student Partnership Officer.

Education: PhD in Geography from the University of Liverpool (ethnographic study of postcapitalist grassroots experiments in Totnes, Devon).

Research Interests: Economic geography; energy transitions; sustainability transitions; grassroots innovation; alternative economic spaces; post-capitalism; social economy; urban sustainability; and intentional communities. Recent work explores fuel poverty, decarbonization roadblocks, and co-produced sociotechnical imaginaries.

Grants & Projects: Led projects including TRANSIT (EU FP7) and Realising Transition Pathways (EPSRC), focusing on low-carbon energy systems and socio-technical transitions. His research outputs emphasize equity in energy markets, community-led initiatives, and policy design for sustainability.

Awards & Activities: Academic Lead for the Norwich Good Economy Commission (2020–2022). His work intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and sustainable cities.

Labs/Teams: Active in ClimateUEA and interdisciplinary collaborations across environmental social sciences.