Place-based and people-centred: Principles for a socially inclusive Net Zero transition

Abstract

The transition to Net Zero marks a radical reshaping of many aspects of everyday life in the effort to reduce human-caused climate change. It also has the potential to influence positively a number of social challenges: improving public health, reducing the effects of poverty, increasing well-being and bringing neighbourhoods together. However, these positive outcomes are by no means a given. Households on low incomes are less resilient than ever following austerity, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis. In this paper, we report on research undertaken in seven low-income neighbourhoods in Leeds and Newcastle in the UK, in which we ran a series of workshops to understand perspectives and concerns on this issue. We found that people's perceived ability to engage in Net Zero was shaped by the neighbourhood they live in (due to its geographical location, local services and infrastructure), their housing (the building and its tenure) and household (the people they live with) as well as by their inability to access funds. It is clear from our data that people have big concerns about their ability to participate in the substantial changes they can see ahead. Our research suggests that ensuring a successful Net Zero transition for low-income neighbourhoods will require a place-based and people-centred approach. We conclude by offering three principles for tailoring research and policy to specific geographic and socio-economic needs, including (1) recognising patterns of difference and their spatial and social roots, (2) bringing whole life experiences into narratives of the future and (3) prioritising social inclusion in climate policy.