Deliberative practice for action on insight

This project examines how to support the adoption of energy demand solutions by policy and political actors. We focus on the role of citizens, end-users, bureaucrats and other policy actors in making decisions about energy demand. Working directly with citizens and policy actors, we identify policy co-benefits, provide evidence reviews on emerging topics, and explore different ways to formulate energy demand reduction policies, all with a goal of realising policy outcomes that support more sustainable energy use.

The project is working to: 

• Make the adoption of energy demand solutions more politically feasible across all levels of government in the UK 

• Co-create pathways toward energy demand solutions with policy actors that ‘think outside the box’ 

• Involve citizens in the governance of energy in ways that support deeper energy demand solutions 

• Provide high quality, accessible scientific reviews of information on emerging topics to support policy actors who are working on energy demand solutions 

The project uses a mix of traditional research and innovative, co-productive methods. The Policy Co-production Panel is a high-level panel of key experts and policy actors who meet regularly in a facilitated setting to discuss emerging ideas from across the EDRC and develop strategies for advancing energy demand solutions across different areas like housing, flexible electricity systems, and transportation. The panel is supported by rapid scientific evidence reviews that address topics where more information is required. Public facing workshops engage citizens in EDRC research in an accessible format, to test ideas and build knowledge and support for energy demand solutions.

Work on this project is long-term and ongoing. The first rapid evidence review addressed the political feasibility of energy demand solutions. The Policy Co-production Panel meets tri-annually and work with, among other topics, ideas on political feasibility, co–benefits of energy demand reduction, and relational approaches to decision making. Public meetings with citizens are scheduled to take place yearly starting in Spring 2025

The Policy Co-production Panel will continue to meet and explore emerging topics from the EDRC including on lower energy demand futures, equity, decision-support tools, and more. We will periodically review the ways that insights from the panel are used by panel members in their decision-making and activities. Evidence needs are assessed at each meeting and future reviews will respond to these needs. Academic and public documents on supporting the political feasibility of energy demand solutions are being prepared and will be made available. Inputs from public meetings will be analysed and fed back into work across the EDRC.