This event took place on Tuesday 14 March.

Achieving the UK’s net-zero goals requires significant social and behavioural change. Professor Cass Sunstein, Founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School and co-author of Nudge, joined us to analyse a new report about building a net-zero society from the Behavioural Insights Team. It combines research and new public polling to understand the radical change needed in our lifestyles and across the domestic energy, food and transport sectors.

There is currently no comprehensive plan for public engagement on net zero from the UK government, and a lack of clarity on which regulatory and systemic changes are needed to enable everyone to make greener choices.  

The Climate Change Committee estimates that 62% of the necessary emissions reductions to meet net zero in the UK depend on individual behaviour, such as the adoption of green tech (such as electric vehicles and heat pumps), lifestyle changes including less red meat and dairy and less flying and driving. Much of the remaining 38% also depends on social and behavioural constraints, including public support for green infrastructure and policy. This report is the first of its kind to draw a path to net zero which is evidence-based, effective and politically feasible. 

We hosted an in-person event with key voices in behavioural science, public policy and climate science, to look at how to revolutionise the approach to tackling the climate emergency. We explored the findings of the report and how to embed behavioural insights into policy across systems and sectors.