Net zero campaigning must focus on a local level argues new evidence submitted by York St John University

Evidence submitted by York St John University and the University of Northampton to the UK’s Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has been formally accepted as part of its inquiry into building public support for energy transition. 
 
While net zero is focused on reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activity, the submission to  Parliament argues that while a large proportion of the UK population has heard of the term, there is very little understanding of what it actually means,  why it matters, or how people can realistically contribute to it. 
 
By centring the public’s lived experience and proposing practical, inclusive opportunities to bridge the gap between government policy and local behavior, the submission provides direct insight into how to ensure the net-zero transition is both equitable and effective.   
 
Dr Olalekan Adisa, Senior Lecturer in Project Management at York St John University, and one of the lead authors of the submission, said that while national-level commitments set the tone, it was local people who had the social capital and contextual understanding to translate that into action. This has the ability to turn them into ‘model net zero citizens’ - an aspirational figure, whose behaviour others can mirror. 
 
“National policies set the ambition, but it is local councils, schools, and community groups that turn ambition into action”, said Dr Adisa.  
 
“They are the bridge between Westminster and the street; trusted, visible, and deeply embedded in people’s lives. 
 
“Our goal is not only to influence Westminster but to co-create replicable, grounded models of citizen-centred climate action.” 
 
Co-author Dr Al-Amin Dabo, Associate Professor in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Northampton, added: 
 
“If we want net zero to succeed, we must move beyond abstract targets and start speaking to people in the language of everyday life - what it means for their homes, their bills, their jobs, and their communities.  
 
“This submission is about making climate action real, local, and inclusive.”  
 
The report offers a set of key recommendations, each focused on practical, people-centred approaches to increase public support for the net zero transition: 

• A personalised ‘Your Net Zero Plan’ for households, through the development of a digital or printable tool enabling individuals and families to generate a tailored action plan - based on their home type, income level, lifestyle, and values.
  
  
• Investment in identifying and training ‘climate champions’ in local communities  (teachers, faith leaders, youth workers, and neighbourhood organisers), who would help relay and shape government messages at a local level. 
  
  
• Visible, local, everyday climate actions – the argument being that people will be more likely to engage when they see changes in their own neighbourhoods; for example, a new cycle lane, community solar project, and retrofitted council homes.

• Reframing the narrative, so that rather than focusing exclusively on carbon reductions, messaging should also foreground the personal benefits of climate action - warmer homes, lower energy bills, cleaner air, local jobs, and improved public spaces. 
  

• Inclusive engagement, with strategies focused on involving marginalised or vulnerable populations. This would include offering materials in multiple languages, designing accessible events, and recognising that ‘climate fatigue’ and economic anxiety can block engagement.  

Now that the submission has been published as part of the inquiry’s evidence base, it will be reviewed alongside others to inform the Committee’s final report and recommendations to government.  
 
This could shape future public engagement strategies, communications campaigns, or even funding allocations for local authorities and voluntary groups. 
 
Dr Adisa said that while they would continue to engage with the inquiry as it progresses, they also plan to bid for funding to host regional workshops and briefings with councils, community partners, and educators to explore how the recommendations can be piloted locally. 
 
Read the full report on the UK Parliament Committee's website.