Local Zero

What can we do to tackle fuel poverty more effectively?

A busy episode of Local Zero as Matt, Becky and Fraser are joined by Dr Nicola Willand from RMIT University in Melbourne, Professor Lucie Middlemiss from the University of Leeds, and Dr Neil Simcock from Liverpool John Moores University.

Nicki, Lucie and Neil are part of the Fuel Poverty Research Network. The Fuel Poverty Research Network (FPRN) is an international network that brings together students, researchers, policymakers and other professionals to foster constructive dialogue and collaboration in relation to all aspects of fuel poverty.

After catching up on professional and personal news, Matt, Becky and Fraser welcome Rachel Coxcoon to the pod. Rachel, a former councillor and founder/director of Climate Guide, and is currently doing a PHD at Lancaster University.

In this episode, we talk about the role of deliberative democracy such as climate assemblies, and how we can use these effectively to achieve Net Zero.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION

[music flourish]

Becky: Hello and welcome to Local Zero with Becky, Matt and Fraser.

Becky: Joining us today is Rachel Coxcoon. Rachel spent many years working at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, leading their work around local and community empowerment. She's a former councillor, Director of Climate Guide, and if that wasn't enough, is now doing a PhD at Lancaster University, exploring how socioeconomic differences and political outlooks influence how people engage with the Net Zero transition.

Fraser: In this episode, we'll be chatting about the role of deliberative democracies such as citizens assemblies in climate policymaking and how to use these effectively as a core part of the Net Zero transition.

Matt: Really looking forward to this one. But before we get stuck into the episode, a plea from us to review Local Zero five stars, of course, wherever you listen to your pods and please do get in touch with us. If there's anything you'd like us to discuss, you can do that via email [email protected] or Twitter at Local Zero pod.

Matt: We really do love hearing from you all.

Fraser: Yes, and if you enjoy Local Zero, the number one way you can help us is by recommending us to friends and colleagues. So if you could take two seconds to send the pod on to others, we would really, really appreciate it.

Becky: And you can also find further reading, episode transcripts, and the entire back catalogue of Local Zero on our website, localzeropod.Com.

Matt: So we've been asking many of you to get in touch with examples of how Local Zero has informed your work and it's been very heartening to hear the responses. So thank you to all of those who've taken the time. Now we had an email from Isaac Beaver who was recently on the pod about how Local Zero has influenced climate action scorecards in Canada, Isaac said, I thought I would let you know that a Canadian organization called the climate reality project, listen to your original podcast with Hannah and found out about our project.

Matt: They got in contact with us last year, and there is now a scorecards based project in Canada, with the results that are going to launch in June. Hope that's helpful for your funding impact as well as a nice story for a Monday afternoon. Well, Isaac, it was indeed a nice story and it's really great to hear that we're shifting the dial elsewhere.

Matt: Maybe we'll try to organize a chat with them, add that to the website and on the show notes.

Becky: Very, very exciting. That's cool. Like just shows that influence around the world. Absolutely

Matt: amazing. It was. And. A little closer to home. We also had a chat with Alistair McPherson, who's CEO of Plymouth Energy Community.

Matt: So a community owned and led charity that's looking to essentially deliver zero carbon houses and also community owned renewables. Uh, Alistair organize a quick chat with me, 20, 30 minutes. Basically just saying this pod has really helped to inform his thinking, his colleagues thinking about the next steps their organization is going to take.

Matt: So Alistair, thank you for taking the time. It's really, really appreciated.

Fraser: We're everywhere. We're everywhere.

Becky: Ultimately,...

Matt has very exciting news to share before he and Becky welcome James Bonner from Every Tree Tells a Story to discuss his work.

https://everytree.uk/

Joining Becky and Fraser for the first episode of 2024 are Scotland's Makar (National Poet) Kathleen Jamie, and writer Sandy Winterbottom, who talk to us about 'Paperboats' - a campaign led by Scottish writers, poets and creatives, and about the need to repair the divide between the arts and science.

Somehow it's that time of the year once again! Becky, Matt and Fraser break down the highlights and lowlights of the year, are joined by Patrick from the production team to pick out their favourite episodes, and there might - MIGHT - be a Future or Fiction in there somewhere!

Thank you to you, our listeners, for your time, energy, and support this year.

In January this year, Hannah Jewell, then of Climate Emergency UK, joined us to discuss their Council Climate Plan scorecards.

Months later, the results are in, and Isaac Beevor joins the pod to discuss how the roll-out went and discuss the key findings.

Before this, Matt and Fraser break down a busy month of climate news...

Recently, we brought you edited highlights from a live panel discussion held in Edinburgh, entitled Countdown to the General Election: Scotland’s next steps to net-zero.

This episode is the panel discussion in full, including 10 minutes of opening remarks from Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, and over an hour of indepth debate featuring, alongside Chris:

• Charles Hendry, President of BIEE and former UK Government Energy Minister (chair)
• Guy Jefferson, COO Scottish Power Energy Networks
• Professor Janette Webb, chair in Sociology of Organisations, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
• Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree foundation

This discussion considers:

• Are the main parties' decarbonisation goals realistic and achievable?
• Can decarbonisation goals be made more compelling to voters who are concerned that they will have a negative impact on costs of energy and energy security; and what steps are needed to achieve this?
• Where do significant policy gaps lie and what are the priorities for action?
• Recommendations for parties’ manifestos to accelerate a just transition to net-zero.

With thanks to BIEE and Edinburgh University's Business School for allowing us to record and share the discussion.

Matt and Fraser welcome Nick Lyth, Founder of Green Angel Ventures, and Stephen Hall, Head of Awards at Ashden. The Ashden Awards are given to organisations and businesses that deliver local, sustainable energy schemes with social, economic and environmental benefits - and this year, Fraser was involved in deciding the winners.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/the-carbon-brief-quiz-2023/

https://youtube.com/@Ashden_org?si=RbQHRG-C0fGuJL3J

A different episode format for you this time round - Matt and Fraser dissect the key highlights from a recent live panel discussion in Edinburgh, titled Countdown to the General Election: Scotland’s next steps to net-zero.

The next general election is widely expected to take place during 2024. Political parties are already spending significant time developing their manifestos, where energy and climate change are likely to feature heavily.

Scotland lies at the heart of this debate. Both Scottish and UK governments have been warned by the CCC that there is no clear delivery plan to meet its 2030 and 2040 interim carbon targets.

Featuring insights from:

Charles Hendry, President of BIEE and former UK Government Energy Minister (chair)

Guy Jefferson, COO Scottish Power Energy Networks

Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee

Professor Janette Webb, chair in Sociology of Organisations, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh

Chris Birt of the Joseph Rowntree foundation

In 2022, Swaffham Prior, a village in East Cambridgeshire, became the first village to develop a rural heat network. Before welcoming Emma Flether, who worked on this project and is now Low Carbon Homes Director at Octopus Energy, Becky and Fraser discuss what we can expect from fuel bills this winter, in the midst of plummeting UK temperatures.