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 have worked with local authorities across the UK to support them to work 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.
Together with Forum for the Future, Ipsos, and Quantum Strategy and Technology Ltd, we have supported 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. You can find out more about this work in the video below.
This work 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’ were offered advice on a range of aspects from policy to planning, financing to data as part of this. We helped them engage citizens effectively in the journey to net zero — combining training, research and practical delivery.
Drawing on citizens juries and participatory futures methods, we employed a new approach called ‘citizen visioning’. This approach helped identify hopes and fears for the future of each place, and how net zero strategies can align. The focus of the project was to work with local authorities to develop a vision for net zero that responds to local needs and priorities, and what makes each place unique. This approach enables 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 built 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 also worked to build 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 delivered 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 are also 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 pleased to be 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'd like to find out more about this project, send us an email here.