The Government has released a new climate plan: here’s the story it needs to tell

Last week, the Government introduced their new climate plan, formally called the ‘Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan.’ This is a legal obligation under the Climate Change Act, and sets out how they intend to reduce our carbon emissions until the year 2037. At Climate Outreach, we believe that the Government has an opportunity with this plan to tell a story, not only of protecting our planet and keeping pace with emissions reductions targets, but a  story of building a better society for all of us, where people will feel the benefits of lower bills, healthier lives and thriving nature. Crucially, it must tell a story of progress and hope.

Our latest Britain Talks Climate and Nature research shows that 74% of people care about climate change, and the majority of people are positive about renewable energy. But we risk losing people if we don’t paint the picture of what kind of future we are trying to create. 

Part of this future must be cheaper energy and a fairer society. People are surprised when we tell them the progress we’ve already made in powering our electricity system by renewables. But whether you’re in Sunderland or Stoke, Peebles or Pembroke, if you look out of your window and see wind turbines but your bills are not falling, chances are you’ll start to doubt their purpose. We need to hear much more about how costs are being reduced for ordinary people, highlighting stories of where this is happening now, on the ground. 

Take the example of Grimsby Community Energy, which has raised over £840,000 in the last nine years to install solar panels on the buildings of charities in the area. This has meant they can access cheaper energy and stop wasting their valuable funds on high bills. The latest climate plan contains much about investments in big energy projects, from Sizewell C to Carbon Capture, but not enough about how these will benefit communities and the support available to enable people to be part of our clean energy future. Stories like that of Ellis from Liverpool help make the case for affordable solar with needed support; installed through a grant from Solar Together, Ellis’ energy bills are totalling just £1.80 a month.

And it’s not just about lowering bills. Technologies like heat pumps and retrofitting homes also have the potential to improve health and wellbeing. Take the example of Tony from North Yorkshire. His wife and daughter suffer from Raynaud’s disease, making them feel the cold much more acutely. Like many across the country, they were living in poorly insulated housing and could only afford to heat one room in the house. But after retrofitting their home, it is much more efficient to heat. They spend 30% less on bills and their condition has improved. Stories like Tony’s show the kind of future we are trying to reach through switching to clean technologies – we must highlight them more.

Finally, the Government should make the protection of nature and our environment a key story in the months and years ahead. Across all segments of British society, nature is something people feel very proud of but equally concerned about losing. Whether it be a local park where people walk their dogs or a river where kids learn about fish for the first time, harm to nature and wildlife was people’s top concern when they were asked about the impacts of climate change in our latest research. 

Additionally, over three quarters of people said action to enhance our natural environments, whether that’s planting trees or stopping littering, is something they are proud of. The Government is right to commit big sums of money to tree planting and peatland restoration in the latest climate plan. We need to hear the stories of communities benefitting from this money and coming together to take action to restore nature, stories like Jenny’s. Jenny is a landowner in Shropshire whose land is part of the famous Offa’s Dyke Path. Thanks to the efforts of local volunteers from the Shropshire Hedgerows Heroes Project, her section of the path now has new hedgerows planted, work which has also been done at 30 sites across the county. This has brought people together and restored a sense of pride in local environments.

For the Government to make the most of the opportunity of the climate plan to inspire people, they need to do two things:

1. Communicate the vision of a better future that the plan is helping us reach. Don’t talk solely about big investments, economic growth and reduced emissions that can seem removed from communities. Paint a picture of a future with cheaper energy, healthier lives and thriving nature.
2. Amplify the stories like Ellis’ in Liverpool, Jenny’s in Shropshire and Tony’s in Yorkshire, demonstrating that the plan will be felt by improvements to people’s lives up and down the country.

Check out our latest insights and how to apply them for more meaningful policy-making. 

Words by Hayden Banks, Advocacy Manager at Climate Outreach, with stories provided by the Local Storytelling Exchange.