Accelerating the Energy Transition in the Built Environment: From Research to Urban Transformation -Insights from the 4TU Energy Transition White Paper

This session examines why the energy transition in housing and the built environment is slowing down in cities despite available technologies and climate policies. It argues that the main barriers are systemic, including fragmented governance, financing constraints, institutional complexity, and behavioural factors shaping housing decisions. It introduces a diagnostic framework combining socio-technical transition theory with readiness assessment to identify bottlenecks and scaling opportunities. The lecture connects these insights to strategies for accelerating climate-neutral, affordable, and resilient housing systems by 2035, linking climate action with governance reform, financing innovation, and social inclusion.