Net zero: is the public behind it? MPs hear from behaviour experts and Climate Change Committee
On Wednesday, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee will explore the public’s perception of net zero, in the final session of an inquiry on the Seventh Carbon Budget.
The Committee will hear from experts in public engagement and behavioural change on how to secure public buy-in for delivering the Seventh Carbon Budget (CB7) as well as the Chief Executive and Chair of the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC).
Around 80% of the public say they are concerned about climate change, according to a citizens’ panel convened by the CCC, while 65% say climate change is already having an impact on the UK. Yet public knowledge on certain solutions and household choices, such as heat pumps or alternative proteins, remains relatively low.
Meeting details
In the first panel, MPs are likely to ask whether the changes in behaviour assumed by the Climate Change Committee are realistic amid persistent challenges to the cost of living. They may ask who is responsible for communicating with the public about the net zero transition and how climate change mis- and disinformation can be addressed.
In the second panel, MPs are likely ask to what extent the CCC considers the political landscape when determining its Balanced Pathway to net zero, and whether political uncertainty is affecting consumer and business confidence.