The Net Zero Project
Getting to net zero in a way that retains public support and benefits the poor.
A deeply collaborative effort that seeks to identify what changes, reforms or innovations are required by government, businesses and investors to ensure plans to transform business and reach net zero retain public support and do not increase poverty.
About the project
It is vital that the UK gets to net zero by 2050, to both mitigate the worst effects of climate change and seize the economic benefits of doing so.
Two of the biggest barriers to achieving this are the upcoming challenge to retain public support and avoiding the costs of transition from falling on those least able to bear it:
While 71% of the public support the commitment to get to net zero by 2050, the majority of decarbonisation to date has been achieved in areas where little public engagement was necessary. Going forward, 62% of future emission reductions will require some form of societal and behaviour change. Failure to get the public on board risks undermining the political support and the business case for net zero, due to dependence on votes and sales respectively.
Ensuring that the cost of transition does not fall on those least able to bear it will help maintain public and political support. Moreover, if the transition led to an increase in poverty it would be self-defeating, given a key reason for expending such efforts to get to net zero is to protect people from adverse life outcomes. Yet there is some way to go on this, with research consistently finding that "policies are not designed with poverty in mind”.
This project will address these two areas. It will be a deeply collaborative effort that seeks to identify what changes, reforms or innovations are required by government, businesses and investors to ensure plans to transform business and reach net zero retain public support and do not increase poverty. It will also seek to bring clarity to leaders across government and business on what are significant poverty problems, and where concerns about poverty are unfounded.
Goal
The UK is supported to reach net zero by 2050 in a way that works for businesses, ensures public support for sector transformations and does not lead to any increase in poverty.
Key result
By 2025, we have clearly articulated to the government, business leaders and other decision makers, how to reach net zero without increasing poverty across three or more of the top climate emitting sectors of the economy.
Latest publications
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The Just Energy Transition Ecosytem
A wealth of effort is being deployed to understand, enable and accelerate a Just Energy Transition. To support collaboration between these efforts, we have brought into one place the organisations, efforts and literature focused on a Just Energy Transition. We’ve specifically chosen to highlight organisations that have visible, public consideration of the importance of the 'just' element of the energy transition, beyond a brief mention.