1. Outline
The CCC, supported by Sciencewise, commissioned Ipsos to deliver a citizens’ panel to explore the question of what an accessible and affordable vision of Net Zero would be for households. The panel consisted of 26 members of the public (reflective of the UK population) from Birmingham and the surrounding area.
The panel focused on what policies are needed to ensure that key household choices for Net Zero are accessible and affordable for all households, across four areas:
- Low-carbon home heating and insulation.
- Electric vehicles (EVs) and reducing driving through a shift to public transport and active travel.
- A reduction in average meat and dairy consumption.
- A smaller than expected increase in flying.
This report reflects the views of the citizens’ panel/Ipsos and does not represent the views of the CCC.
Watch the below video from Ipsos to find out more.
2. Key messages
The key findings from the research were:
- People were on board with the household low-carbon choices provided government played a significant and proactive role in supporting households. This role included:
– Information provision, so households are aware and confident about necessary changes.
– Setting clear phase-out dates for petrol/diesel cars and gas boilers.
– Improving public transport and EV charging infrastructure.
– Setting standards for home energy efficiency.
– Providing grants and loans to support households to purchase low-carbon technologies. - Upfront costs were key, and much more important than overall savings for household affordability and purchase decisions.
- Participants’ perspectives on the fairest way to fund household choices varied across sectors. For example, participants preferred general taxation to be used for home heating, where everyone would have access to some support (i.e. grants for heat pumps), but erred towards only those choosing to fly paying more when thinking about flying.
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