This report shares a wealth of insights and practical knowledge from our work with 28 Local Authorities and their residents to make Net Zero deliver for their place.
Delivered under Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme in partnership with Involve, Ipsos, Forum for the Future and Quantum Strategy and Technology.
Putting people and place at the heart of the transition
Over the last two years, Involve set out to prove a simple idea, to build a decarbonised future, we have to start with people and place.
Working closely with local authorities and residents across the UK, as part of Innovate’s UK Net Zero Living Programme, we designed meaningful, and cost-effective ways to bring communities directly into the decision making process.
Instead of starting with climate change, which can often feel highly technical, overwhelming, and top down, we started with place.
Through a series of local citizen visioning conversations, we asked people what they love about where they live, what they want to change, and what they worry about for the future. Only then did we explore energy, local climate adaptation, and the path to net zero within that trusted, everyday context.
What the report explores:
This report draws on the insights of 28 local authorities and the real lived experience of 1,296 people supported through the Programme. Inside you will discover how the programme unlocked:
- Better decision making: through developing Local Authorities’ participatory approaches to decision making
- A shared focus: Assisting local authorities and key actors towards net zero through a structured focus on participatory engagement
- Accelerated momentum: building progress on climate change goals
Key findings
High quality public participation is not a "nice to have" optional extra, it is a critical requirement for transforming our infrastructure and society.
We provide clear actionable learnings for policy makers, Local Authorities and Engagement practitioners, on how to respond to the climate crisis in ways that are meaningful to people and communities.
By working directly with the energy, intelligence, and lived experiences of communities across the UK, we can build a transition that not only achieves our climate goals but restores public trust and inspires hope for the future.