EDRC has taken a strategic decision to communicate its research through a series of cross-consortium campaigns, each of which has a set of key messages, rooted in our empirical research.
The Climate Change Act of 2008 legally commits the UK to emissions reduction targets. In a political climate where these are every more unpopular, the Climate Change Committee has warned that we are not doing enough to meet them. Energy use is the main factor in emissions and so understanding it better is critical. Research into how best to address issues of equity within the energy system is key to helping keep people on board with the energy transition.
The 23rd of September saw the launch of our Energy Equity Campaign with an international webinar, Talking home energy injustice: Rethinking the language of inequality. The Energy Equity campaign includes the empirical work of around twenty EDRC researchers and will help us create a community of researchers within EDRC and beyond and provide a focus for stakeholder engagement to amplify our messages and maximise the possibility of focused impact
Our work in this area was already on a firm footing. Three of our Policy Briefings address Energy Equity concerns. The first, which looks at the economy-wide impacts of different approaches to addressing fuel poverty has been shared with His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT), who reported agreeing with our conclusions and who continue to engage with us. The second deals with the barriers and impacts of green choices on people with protected characteristics. This work was the product of a secondment at the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and was quoted in their Seventh Carbon Budget. The third examines how home energy advice might be reimagined in the UK.
We also responded to Ofgem’s Consumer Vulnerability Strategy Refresh, wrote a response to the DESNZ Fuel Poverty Strategy Review, and sent a case study on our work to the International Energy Agency (IEA) which fed into the EU’s work on sustainable lifestyles.
We also have several blogs relating this topic, including:
- Spring Statement signals rocky road ahead for affordable energy and equitable net zero transition
- What will the Autumn Budget do for energy demand?
- Equity vs. Equality: how winter fuel payments are changing
There are six high-level key messages in the Energy Equity Campaign, which will be featuring in more detail on our website and social media pages in the coming weeks. These are:
- Targets are important but not sufficient
- Language, definitions and metrics matter
- The evolving energy system must have equity at its heart
- Focusing on those underserved by the energy system brings multiple benefits
- Home energy advice provides critical support
- To achieve wider, longer-term, economic benefits energy demand reduction policies must be carefully designed and aligned
These will inform our activities – such as webinars, events and podcasts – as well as a set of products – papers, briefing notes, case studies and slides. If you are a stakeholder in this space or interested in any of these key messages, please get in touch with S.L.Higginson@bham.ac.uk or via our social media (LinkedIn, Bluesky)
