Wednesday 18 June,
3pm
The Government has set out its intention to transition the UK to
clean energy through its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
But to make the big decisions on energy policy—changing the way
energy is generated and used in the UK—the Government will need
to bring the public with them.
While public support for renewables remains strong, driven by
widespread concern about climate change and energy security,
vocal opposition to ‘net zero'—which includes the energy
transition—has grown. Since the Climate Change Act 2008 and the
subsequent enshrining of the 2050 net zero target in law,
political consensus and the will to see it through have become
increasingly fractured.
Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and its impact on energy costs
laid bare the price of dependence on gas. Polling consistently
shows broad public concern about climate change—at times even
exceeding concern over affordable housing.
But how does this translate into support for the energy
transition, a key part of the mission to address climate change?
And how do concerns about energy security affect public backing
for this transition?
On Wednesday 18 June, the Energy Security and
Net Zero (ESNZ) Committee will hold its first public evidence
session in this new inquiry, examining current levels of public
understanding and support for the clean energy transition. The
session will also consider how these have changed over time, and
how approaches differ across the nations of the UK in tackling
what is widely seen as a generational challenge.
Experts from polling organisations and academia will provide
insight into demographic and geographic differences in public
support, and assess levels of public understanding and awareness
of net zero policies. The Committee will also examine how people
access and respond to the information they receive—across
multiple sources and platforms—about energy and climate change.
In particular, the Committee will explore messaging around the
energy transition:
- How does it resonate across different parts of the UK?
- How do the devolved administrations communicate the
transition and its implications for consumers, households, and
businesses?
- And how does this interact with messaging from the UK
Government?
Do the nations of the UK have differing approaches to public
participation and engagement—and how effective are
they?
Witnesses from
3:00pm:
-
, Executive Director, More
in Common
- Rachel Brisley, Director, Energy and Environment, Ipsos
UK
- Professor Karen Bickerstaff, Professor of Human Geography,
University of Exeter; Chair, ACCESS Net Zero
Taskforce
From 4:00pm:
-
, Policy Manager,
Community Energy Scotland
- Claire Chappell, Head of Behaviour Change & Engagement,
Climate Action Wales
- Dr Amanda Slevin, Co-Director, Centre for Sustainability,
Equality and Climate Action, Queen's University
Belfast
