The race to net zero starts at home

There’s plenty of big talk about net zero at national and global levels, but when it comes to delivery, the real action must happen much closer to home.

The systems that shape our daily lives — energy, housing, transport, skills, industry — are fundamentally local. And yet, national communications strategies often treat regional delivery as an afterthought, when it should be front and centre.

With my public affairs hat on, I’ve worked on communicating the value of low-carbon technologies and innovation, not just to influence national policy, but to spotlight regional capability as a critical driver of the UK’s net zero transition. I’m based in the West of England, and I’ve seen first-hand how much potential sits at the local level when it comes to developing and executing pioneering green solutions.

There’s a lot of head-scratching over why the public isn’t more engaged with climate goals. Why behaviour change is slow. Why people say they care — but resist policies and progress.

I don’t think it’s apathy. I think it’s the messaging.

If we want public engagement, we need to stop talking in abstractions and start talking in terms of people’s local communities, priorities and lived experiences. That means more than “raising awareness.” It means reframing the whole conversation.

Too much climate comms is still centred around doom, fear, loss and penalisation.

“We’re killing the planet.”

“We cannot allow warming to exceed 1.5°C.”

“The clock is ticking.”

“We’re at the point of no return.”

“Act now or face catastrophe.”

Those statements aren’t wrong — they’re just not cutting through. They probably overwhelm and paralyse.

Most people don’t wake up worrying about carbon emissions. They worry about the cost of living, about energy bills, jobs, the price of food, the bus that doesn’t turn up and whether they can afford to keep their home warm this winter.

We assume that data alone will drive behaviour change. We treat climate as a standalone issue, rather than showing how it connects to jobs, housing, transport and the economy. And we overlook fairness and accessibility, talking up solutions like solar, heat pumps and EVs without addressing that, for many, these remain out of reach. Climate action cannot be something reserved for those who can afford it — it has to work for everyone.

If we want net zero to feel relevant, we have to start there. Too often, the message sounds like restriction: less driving, less flying, less convenience …

We’re missing the opportunity to tell a positive story, the upside, if you will: lower energy bills, better public transport, healthier air and warmer homes, good jobs in future-focused industries, stronger, more resilient communities.

If that’s not what people are hearing, we’re not communicating it clearly enough.

We don’t need to simplify the ambition. But we do need to simplify the story. Make it personal. And make it hit home.

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