Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
We asked the Department what it was doing to ensure the step change needed by...
Conclusion
We asked the Department what it was doing to ensure the step change needed by members of the public to achieve net zero and how it was communicating to people about the decisions or changes they needed to make and when. The Department told us that so far, a lot of the changes to reduce emissions reductions have not required major behavioural change, but many of those that will be needed in the future will do. It explained that, where possible, it would look for solutions that did not require “excessively drastic behaviour change” which was why initiatives such as electric vehicles were so important. In April 2020, the Department established a behaviour change and public engagement team for net zero to begin designing a public engagement strategy and share good practice across government. The Department accepted, however, that it was not yet providing an integrated picture of public engagement and that there was more work it needed to do to address this gap in 2021.33 It told us that it would be important to ensure that its public engagement strategy was sufficiently broad to allow the public to understand the wider context of its communications and messages. For example, it explained that it would be important to enable people to understand the continuing importance in the short term of high-emitting industries, such as coal, oil and gas, and their role in employment and the resilience of the energy system.34
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
5: PAC conclusion: Government has not adequately communicated to the general public the changes that individuals will need to make in the transition to net zero emissions. 5: PAC recommendation: The Department should, in the next 12 months, develop a public engagement strategy that sets out how communications will be coordinated. 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Ta rget implementation date: Autumn 2021 5.2 Reaching net zero will not only require changes to our energy systems with new technologies and inf rastructure, but also shifts in how we as individuals travel, what we buy and how we use energy. It will be vit al to engage the public on the challenge of, and their role in, and views on meeting our net zero target by 20 50. 5.3 In November 2020, the department launched its ‘Together for our Planet’ campaign, marking the one year to COP26 milestone. This campaign aims to raise awareness and understanding of COP26 and the work the UK is doing to combat climate change, while creating opportunities for people across the UK to participate in taking action on climate change the run-up to COP26. 5.4 Looking ahead, the government as a whole is increasing public engagement on climate action and our plans for net zero will take account of the importance of public engagement. The department agrees with the recommendation that government should set out more detail on its approach to public engagement on net zero, including how it plans to co-ordinate communications. It is planned to do so as part of the forthcoming Net Zero Strategy.