The Sustainability and Resilience (SRI) Institute has hosted a ‘Going Green: Debating the socio-economic impacts of achieving net zero’ conference at the University.
Pictured: (Left to right) Grace Compton, SRI Policy Officer; Tracy Morse, Head of Strathclyde Centre for Sustainable Development; Simon Kemp, SRI Deputy-Director; Anca Tacy, SDSN UK Network Manager; Lindsay Armstrong, SRI Deputy-Director; Ellie Pun, SRI Co-ordinator; Alice Brock, SRI Sustainable Development Goal Officer.
The event was organised in partnership with the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), current host institution of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) UK, and the University of Strathclyde Centre for Sustainable Development.
Focusing on the economic and social factors that will drive or impede the net zero transition in the UK, the conference brought together both established and early career researchers from SDSN UK member institutions, policy makers and industry professionals. The aim of the conference was to mobilise collective knowledge and experience to identify the most pressing, cross-sector research questions surrounding a net zero future.
Professor Keith Bell, Professor of Future Power Systems at the University of Strathclyde and member of the Climate Change Committee, delivered a thought-provoking keynote highlighting the importance of policy direction and delivery, and the fact that the UK’s path to net zero is not only dependent on low-carbon technologies but on how societal choices are enabled and moved in a low-carbon direction. He noted the opportunity for more policies which shape consumer demand for things like energy and transport, as a key enabler of the transition.
The keynote was followed by a captivating panel discussion focusing on the net zero transition from different perspectives, including innovation, sharing the benefits of a green economy amongst everyone in society, public health co-benefits and community engagement.
Grace Compton, SRI Policy Officer says: “Physicists, ecologists, psychologists, and local councillors were sat round the same table discussing how interdisciplinary research can support this critical transition. The discussions identified socioeconomic research questions such as how to create positive narratives to shape public support for new policies, using AI to accelerate progress, and what works at a local level to drive behaviour change.”
Looking forward, members of SDSN and attendees of the event are able to apply for seed funding to develop new research proposals that address the research questions identified in discussions. It is anticipated that connections made at the event will enable attendees to build new research partnerships and collaborations around the socioeconomic impacts of achieving net zero.
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