The path to net zero involves significant obstacles, including public skepticism and resistance, which can be addressed by involving citizens in decision-making from the start. Emily Tulloh, Engagement Lead at Involve discusses how Involve, in partnership with Forum for the Future, Ipsos, and Quantum Strategy and Technology Ltd., is supporting 25 UK local authorities in engaging communities to develop citizen-driven net zero visions as part of the Innovate UK Net Zero Living programme.
This blog was first posted on the Involve blog site. Involve is part of the Partnership Delivery Team for the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub.
Engaging Citizens on How to Get to Net Zero
The path to net zero is not without its obstacles and can often face resistance. We believe that to address public scepticism, polarisation and resistance to net zero implementation you need to give citizens a significant voice in, and great ownership of, net zero decisions from the outset. To this end, we will be working with 25 local authorities to support them in working with citizens, communities and interested parties to create a clear sense of direction for their place and build their understanding and confidence to engage the public long term.
Involve is partnering with Forum for the Future, Ipsos, and Quantum Strategy and Technology Ltd. on a major, UK-wide project to help local authorities engage their citizens on how to get to Net Zero. The project aims to support local authorities across the country to create a citizen vision for their area that guides their decision-making so that it is based on what people want.
This is part of the Innovate UK Net Zero Living programme that provides support to local authorities, their partners and communities to overcome systemic barriers to the scaling and adoption of net zero solutions. A group of ‘Fast Follower Local Authorities’ are being offered advice on a range of aspects from policy to planning, and financing to data as part of this. We will help them engage citizens effectively in the journey to net zero — combining training, research and practical delivery.
Citizen Visioning
Drawing on citizen juries and participatory futures methods, we will be using a new approach called ‘citizen visioning’. We will identify hopes and fears for the future of each place, and how net zero strategies can align. The focus of the project will be working with local authorities to develop a vision for net zero that responds to local needs and priorities, and what makes each place unique. This will enable Councils to develop their net zero programmes with greater confidence and deliver co-benefits that communities welcome. The approach is designed to feed into real-life decision-making, connecting to wider strategies and activities, for maximum impact. For those local authorities who are already engaging their residents, we will build from where they are to support wider community conversations and ongoing strategies to keep citizens engaged and able to hold their decision-makers accountable. We will also be building sustainable local capacity for ongoing engagement, through recruiting and training local associates to join our teams, prioritising under-represented groups.
Thriving Places Citizen Visioning and Engagement will deliver impact through building capacity in Local Authorities and communities; delivering clear, future-proofed visions of a just and sustainable net zero transition that citizens have ownership of; and ensuring net zero plans respond to real citizen needs. We will also be capturing learning and creating insights and resources to share widely.
This is an exciting, far-reaching project for Involve and its partners and we are really looking forward to working alongside a variety of local authorities and communities to achieve far-reaching net zero solutions that are inclusive, just and work for communities.
If you are interested in finding out more about the project, please contact Emily Tulloh at emily@involve.org.uk
This blog was written by Emily Tulloh, Engagement Lead at Involve.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of City-REDI, WMREDI or the University of Birmingham.