Government must work closer with communities on net zero

The Government must forge better links with local communities to hit its net zero targets, according to a new report.

The British Academy study urges a shift away from “blanket national policies which rely on mass individual behavioural change”.

Instead, it says net zero policy should be tailored to the varied needs and concerns of people and mobilise community groups, local authorities, and local businesses to work together to make their local area more sustainable.

The report warns that the complexity of net zero is creating frictions in decision-making and putting the brakes on vital progress.

Professor Andy Jordan, a Fellow of the British Academy who led the programme, said: “Political leaders have adopted realistic net zero targets, but they will be significantly more straightforward to deliver if the right governance is in place, namely collaborative, localised and tailored to what people have repeatedly said they want.”