When some people hear the word “planning” it is not something that usually gets them very excited.  Planning may conjure up images of dull technocrats, complicated maps and perhaps ugly remnants of poorly designed projects that resonate in our collective perception.  Yet planning has a fundamental role to play in the transition to a low-carbon society.

The unrestricted use of fossil fuels should be phased out by 2100 if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says in a stark report that most of the world’s electricity can – and must – be produced from low-carbon sources by 2050. It is intended to inform politicians engaged