A new report warns that the UK's current approach to delivering net zero risks losing public support at the very moment it is needed most.
The report ‘Stick or twist? Why the UK's net-zero strategy is faltering and may need to change’ produced by researchers at the Universities of Strathclyde and Aberdeen as part of the JUST‑Systems project, finds that while the UK has made significant progress in reducing carbon emissions since 1990, a different approach may be required to deliver the next phase of decarbonisation, which will be far more disruptive to everyday life.
For decades, the UK has been regarded as a global leader on climate action, with emissions now less than half of their 1990 levels. This success was underpinned by broad political consensus and strong public backing. But that consensus is beginning to fracture.
According to the report, recent years have seen declining cross‑party political support and a noticeable shift in public attitudes toward net‑zero, raising concerns about the durability of the UK’s climate strategy.
The authors argue that one key reason for this shift is that the benefits of net‑zero have not been evenly felt and need to be aligned to the social realities of communities.
While past progress relied largely on changes in the energy sector with the removal of coal and growth of renewables - often invisible to the public - the remaining emissions are tied to everyday activities: transport, heating and food. Decarbonising these areas will require more direct involvement from households and communities, making public support essential.
The report concludes that the current, centralised model of governing net‑zero is no longer fit for purpose. It argues instead that local, community‑driven approaches could accelerate decarbonisation while also rebuilding public confidence and simultaneously helping address other challenges that facing society, such as our struggling high streets, ageing infrastructure, public health and cost of living.
“Many communities simply haven’t seen themselves as part of the net‑zero story. Policies so far have reduced emissions impressively but they haven’t always empowered people or improved their day‑to‑day lives,” said Professor Tavis Potts, project lead at the University of Aberdeen.
“Climate action is being done to people rather than with them, and as a result, the way we are governing the UK’s net-zero transition is beginning to wear thin on the British public. Frustration is growing, just as we’re entering the most people‑centred phase of the transition. Collectively we need to ensure that the transition genuinely supports people across the UK and provides material improvements to communities.”
The report’s lead author Professor Matthew Hannon, Director of the Strathclyde Institute for Sustainable Communities said: “The UK’s net-zero mandate is in peril and following the UK’s next general election in 2029, may no longer exist; effectively derailing our net-zero transition.
“We argue that this situation has emerged because our approach to net-zero is simply not doing enough to empower or enrich UK citizens. Without a significant change in strategy, there is a real risk that we will fail to decarbonise the second half of our economy (e.g. heat, transport, food) as successfully as the first (e.g. power). The JUST-Systems project rises to this challenge, exploring innovative approaches to governing a net-zero transition that will put people firmly at the centre of this transition.”
JUST-Systems (UKRI356) is a UK Research and Innovation Building a Green Future funded £5million, five-year research programme designed to place people and communities at the heart of the Net Zero transition.
Delivered through a partnership between the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Reading, and Warwick, researchers will now explore alternative ways of governing net-zero that places power and decision‑making closer to the communities most affected.
This includes looking at innovative collaborations between councils, local organisations, third sector and residents to deliver fairer and faster climate action.
“Our research is ultimately about creating a net‑zero transition that enriches people’s lives,” added Professor Potts. “If we can build a system that empowers communities instead of imposing changes on them, the UK can meet its climate targets while creating a fairer, happier future for everyone.”
The report was authored by Professor Matthew Hannon, Dr Iain Cairns and Dr Jennifer Roberts from the University of Strathclyde, with Professor Tavis Potts from the University of Aberdeen.