The Big Energy Shift
Sciencewise-ERC funded project 2008-2009
Background
The purpose of this dialogue project was to encourage people to discuss the way they insulate, heat and power their homes and communities. In total, approximately 250 people from nine communities. Find out more about the project background.
Aims and Objectives
- Test out the public’s views on community-level carbon and energy savings
- Enable UK Government to make fully informed policy decisions in response to the proposals in the Climate Change Bill.
Delivered By
DECC
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is responsible for all aspects of UK energy policy, and for tackling global climate change on behalf of the UK.
Ipsos MORI
Ipsos MORI is a UK market research company.
Kathryn Rathouse Social Research is evaluating this project.
Latest Status Update
- One of the key outcomes of this dialogue was the Low Carbon Communities Challenge
- Many practical insights on how to achieve low carbon targets by working with the public are given in the final report
- DECC, along with Sciencewise-ERC, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive commissioned a report evaluating the findings from this work which has now been published.
Key Impacts
The findings from the dialogue showed that there was huge potential for people to change their energy behaviour and that attitudes towards improving energy efficiency were extremely positive. However, the results also demonstrated that individuals alone were not likely to initiate change, but that integrated community-wide approaches involving householders, businesses and Government are needed to stimulate a Big Energy Shift. Leadership from the Government in particular was highlighted as a key mechanism to change.
Project Quotes
“Pretty much everything will have to change over a period of time and if we're going to do that then sensibly we need to know to what extent we can bring the public with us. We can't just do it ourselves. The public are part of it.”Joan Ruddock MP, Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change
“That was my first time taking part in something like that, but it wouldn’t be my last. I was impressed about the whole thing.”Public particpant