A new initiative which will put the public at the heart of decision making on climate policy has been launched.
Net Zero Diaries is a collaborative research project being delivered by BritainThinks in partnership with Lancaster University, OVO Energy, Citizens Advice and the WWF-UK. It aims to learn from people’s views, values and experience to shape net zero policies that are both more effective and more popular.
The initiative will bring together citizens with different levels of engagement with the net zero agenda and work with them over a four-month period to better understand their views on net zero policy as it is made. The aim is to create a new model for open, long-term and considered research with behaviour change built into the process.
The panel will meet regularly around COP26 negotiations, allowing the initiative to demonstrate the value of real-time access to informed public perspectives on climate policy. The findings will be shared openly via a series of webinars showcasing some of the most crucial insights and perspectives from each phase.
Rebecca Willis, Professor of Energy & Climate Governance at Lancaster Environment Centre, commented: “People are increasingly worried about the climate crisis – we know that much. But we know far less about how climate is affecting people’s daily lives – how they’re thinking and talking about it, and what changes they would like to make – with government’s help. This landmark piece of research will allow us to understand how people live climate change and the net zero challenge, providing vital insights to feed into decision-making.”
