Decarbonising infrastructure is no longer about whether the technologies exist – it is about whether the systems, finance, delivery capacity and policy frameworks are in place to scale them at pace.

A good case study on these points is the UK, which has made undeniable progress in recent years: coal has disappeared from the grid, renewables continue to break generation records and electric vehicles (EVs) are moving into the mainstream – accounting for around 20% of new car registrations in the first half of 2025. These achievements show what is possible when government ambition, planning and delivery align. They also reflect growing consumer confidence.

But despite these successes, UK progress on decarbonisation remains uneven across key sectors and, notably, the built environment. For the UK’s public estate in particular – hospitals, schools and local authority buildings – decarbonisation is often stalled by inconsistent funding, fragmented decision-making and limited capacity to plan and deliver at scale. An estimate in June 2025 put the cost to decarbonise the public estate at £57bn. Without stable investment pathways, clear regulatory signals and coordinated policy frameworks, these estates are left reliant on short-term funding pots or patchwork retrofits that fail to unlock full efficiency or resilience benefits.

The challenge runs deeper than government decision-making and policy churn – although policy still matters. Decarbonising infrastructure requires not only stable long-term financing and skilled delivery teams, but also policy frameworks that support consistent investment, provide regulatory clarity and enable innovation. Stop-start programmes, unclear building standards, or delayed legislation for heat networks risk slowing deployment, undermining investor confidence and leaving technical solutions underutilised.

Sustaining momentum requires aligning technical, financial and policy levers beyond the constraints of electoral cycles or government spending reviews.

Clean energy, grid upgrades
For the UK energy sector, much progress has been made in decarbonising the grid, boosted in recent years by programmes such as the ongoing Great Grid Upgrade and the current government’s Clean Energy 2030 Action Plan. However, decarbonising electricity supply is not enough alone – this must be coupled with energy efficiency measures alongside rapid installation of electrified heating sources. Heat networks and heat pumps will be central to decarbonising buildings, but deployment at scale depends on stable government funding, supportive regulation and long-term incentives that build confidence for both industry and consumers.

Underpinning all of this is the skills challenge: from building performance specialists and heat network engineers to experts in grid connection and offshore infrastructure. A stable policy and delivery pipeline is vital to support training and retention.

Heat networks and heat pumps will be central to decarbonising buildings, but deployment at scale depends on stable government funding, supportive regulation and long-term incentives that build confidence for both industry and consumers.

Encouragingly, solutions are emerging. Blended funding models that combine public investment with private finance, protected long-term decarbonisation funds and devolved lending schemes for energy upgrades are demonstrating impact.

A good example of a successful blended funding model can be found in my home country of Wales. Here, the third wave of a refit energy programme at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is underway, due to complete in early 2026. By installing new glazing, LED lighting, solar PV panels and solar carports across five hospital sites, the refit is set to save over £600,000/y and reduce annual carbon emissions by 473 tonnes.

This national refit initiative, supported by multiple concurrent terms of an incumbent government, partners energy service companies (ESCOs) with public sector organisations to improve energy efficiency through building upgrades, modern equipment and sustainable technology as part of an energy performance contract (EPC), also known as a shared savings agreement. EPCs work by ESCOs providing the upfront capital for efficiency upgrades, with both parties profiting through energy and associated cost savings. This is a time-tested model for both private and public sector organisations.

Beyond energy savings, as Jon McGarrigle, Head of Energy and Performance at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, says, the project is about much more than numbers: ‘The real value of this work is that every pound we save on energy can be reinvested in patient care. The annual savings are equivalent to the cost of 15 heart bypass operations or the salaries of 15–20 nurses. That is a tangible benefit for our patients.’ Decarbonisation doesn’t have to be a burden – when sustained programmes are implemented effectively, it puts money back into pots where it is needed most.

Clear and consistent policy
Local and regional leadership – from city-level retrofit programmes to devolved administrations offering low-interest finance – is showing that progress is possible even in challenging circumstances. Where government policy is clear and consistent, progress accelerates; where it lags or shifts, delivery slows.

For energy and infrastructure professionals, the priority is clear: to help embed continuity into decarbonisation programmes, ensure technical excellence informs funding, regulatory and policy decisions – and bring forward innovations that lower cost and risk for clients and the public sector alike.

If the UK is to achieve its 2050 targets, decarbonisation must be approached not as a five-year political cycle project, but as a generational infrastructure mission. That means stable frameworks for finance, delivery and policy, long-term workforce planning and a commitment to integrating decarbonisation into every stage of asset design, build and operation.

With the right alignment of technical expertise, investment, leadership and consistent government support, the UK can not only cut emissions but create a healthier, more resilient public realm for decades to come.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

• Further reading: ‘Community-led home energy efficiency – why it might work in the UK’. Heating leaky homes is a major and persistent source of UK carbon emissions, yet this problem has never been fully addressed. Maybe it needs a new, community-based business model, argues Kit Evans, General Manager of SaveEnergy, which offers green homes services in the Maidenhead, Berkshire, area.
• Find out how the US has become a global leader in movement to decarbonise buildings.