Policymakers need to enable better behaviour to get to zero

“Desperately needed” changes in behaviour among the UK population  to get to net zero by 2050, require policymakers to to “create an enabling environment that allows the public to make the required changes” according to a report by the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE).

Measures recommeded by the ICE were topped by “develop an information portal

or hub (led by government or an independent body) to demystify net zero choices.” Other assertions included “address market and non-financial barriers” and create a “clear policy path” 

 The report, What are the public behavioral changes required to meet net zero? looks at  the findings of a consultation held at the end of 2023 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure (APPGI) and the ICE. The report was, according to its authors, “informed by evidence from stakeholders across infrastructure and civil society, including engineering companies, energy and environmental experts, and ICE members.

Chair of the APPGI, Conservative MP, Andrew Jones, said: “Net zero has been a priority of the group for a while, but the debate has moved on from the why to the how.”