Making a Net Zero Society

People, our societies and our systems need to change and adapt to meet our net zero goals. In a report by the ESRC-funded ACCESS network, 10 leading academics call for the government to make more consistent and effective use of social science, to build a more sophisticated understanding of societal change and to plan next steps to achieve net zero ambitions. The report Making a Net Zero Society: Follow the Social Science highlights that net zero will involve social and cultural changes that go beyond economic, supply-side and narrowly framed consumer-based approaches. 

Their recommendations include: 

1. Giving greater attention to UK-wide efforts to reduce how much energy we use 
2. Building and communicating positive and collective visions of a net zero future that can galvanise widespread support for net zero changes 
3. Recognising the many benefits of action beyond reducing emissions, including better health, new jobs, technological innovation and a fairer society 
4. Empowering mid-level actors and organisations (e.g. local authorities, employers, faith-based groups) to deliver place-sensitive, locally appropriate, net zero interventions.
5. Involving people in meaningful debate about the changes required to reach net zero, that acknowledges the challenges as well as the benefits of net zero action. 

Working across government

These recommendations will require more social scientists working across central, devolved and local government to utilise their varied expertise, insight and analytical techniques to support better net zero decision making.

This report includes a review of current government net zero plans and a series of case studies that offer useful insights into successful societal changes e.g. smoking, single-use plastics, and the school streets scheme.  

Lead author Professor Karen Bickerstaff, from the University of Exeter, says: “This research report provides a clear evidence base for fuller representation of the social sciences within the expert groups advising government on net zero.  Technology is really important but cannot, in isolation, achieve the deep decarbonisation required; social dynamics and processes must be an equal focus of government initiatives.  There is great potential to reduce energy demand, but this requires meaningful public debate about the benefits and challenges involved.”

Read the full findings

Read the summary and full report here

Benjamin Sovacool is part of the ACCESS leadership team which includes world-leading social science and interdisciplinary experts led by the Universities of Exeter and Surrey in a team that includes Universities of Bath, Leeds and Sussex and the Natural Environment Social Research Network.