Citizens juries fuel and drive the IPPR’s major new report on a “people-powered” plan for the Green Transition
There is no shortage of comprehensive and powerful think-tankery and research bearing down on the green plans required to address climate catastrophe (one a week, easily, to our desk).
But what we like about the IPPR’s Fairness and Opportunity: A People-Powered Plan for the Green Transition (full PDF at the link), apart from its expected thoroughness and costedness, is that their process was driven by a series of citizens’ juries across these islands - held in Tees Valley and County Durham, the South Wales Valleys, Thurrock and Aberdeenshire along with deliberative projects in Doncaster and London. The hundreds of recommendations from the report, IPPR is adamant to say, come very much from their deliberations.
The six broad points are graphically laid out above, and filled in from the report’s introduction - reprinted below. And the second half of the report is full of detailed policy recommendation (for those with the appetite for it. There’s a graphic box of the highlights embedded just above). But there is also an easier-read interactive version of the report for the general reader (here’s the full spread of access points to all the material).
1. FROM A PROBLEM TO BE MITIGATED TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEIZED
“There is an untapped treasure in the Valleys... There is a sleeping dragon here waiting to breathe fire into a recovery which will help the planet as well as the UK.”
Juror from the South Wales Valleys citizens’ jury
Despite the scale of the climate and nature crises – and the impacts, from flooding to extreme heatwaves, which are already with us – the UK must view these challenges not just as a problem to be mitigated, but an opportunity to be seized. The benefits of ambitious action are substantial for both the public and the environment – from the creation of decent jobs, to lower energy bills and significant public health benefits, to burgeoning wildlife and a healthier planet.
All of the communities we spoke with across the UK recognised the challenges of the transition but also pointed to the huge potential of fully drawing upon the assets, skills and talent that lie in their communities.
“We have huge assets - from our local industry to the skills, talent and expertise of all who live in Aberdeenshire. There is a huge opportunity to build on these strengths, but we need a vision and a strategy to maximise them.”
Aberdeenshire citizens’ jury
Our existing economic system is driving both environmental damage and deep economic and social unfairness (IPPR 2020). In transforming our economy to deliver better outcomes for the environment we can, and must, also improve the quality of life for everyone.
2. FROM FAIRNESS AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO FAIRNESS AS A FOUNDATION
“No one can be left out. A fair response to the climate and nature emergencies needs to increase equality in society.”
Tees Valley and County Durham citizens’ jury
The debate about whether we transition to a clean economy is largely resolved but the debate over how we transition has only just begun. The central question to that debate is how it can be done in a way that is fair; in the words of Chris Stark, head of the Climate Change Committee, it is “almost the only question” (Garman 2021). This is because, as we have seen with the ‘gilets jaunes’ protests in France, delivering the transition in a fair way is crucial to securing legitimacy for and efficacy of the transition and building enduring public and political support’.
“We need to make sure that all decisions that are made are fair at the point of decision-making and throughout their implementation.” Thurrock citizens’ jury
This message was reinforced over and over again by the people we spoke to and has been supported by the findings of similar processes such as the UK Climate Assembly.4
This is about more than just avoiding unfairness arising in the transition itself. It’s also about addressing existing unfairness across our economy and society. The aspects of fairness that the people we spoke to were anxious to have addressed were as follows.
The distribution of costs for individuals, businesses, and the public purse
This includes taxation, everyday expenses like energy bills, as well as the price of purchasing sustainable food, and the cost of low-carbon goods and services such as energy efficiency retrofits.
“Action should not be regressive and make life harder for people already struggling. People should be supported to make the changes they need to.”
Aberdeenshire citizens’ jury
The questions of fairness both within and between different places across the UK
This relates particularly to the distribution of economic investment, the impacts on new and existing jobs, and to who is most affected by the impacts of the climate and nature crises.
“We believe that the future should be inclusive and we recognise that those [places] who have been historically left behind may need additional support to prosper.”
South Wales Valleys citizens’ jury
Aspects of fairness relating to gender, race, and disability
Jurors were conscious that some people, already disadvantaged by our current economic system, are being impacted disproportionately by the environmental crises and are at risk from badly managed policy responses too, as was underlined in our interim report (IPPR 2020).
“Inequality is a big issue.”
Juror from the Thurrock citizens’ jury
Fairness for younger and future generations
Our jurors were acutely aware of the greater impact that the climate and nature crises will have on younger and future generations and wanted to ensure this was reflected in decision-making.
“I guess it’s not going to have much of an effect on me. But I’ve got children and grandchildren and it is those who are going to be affected.”
Juror from the Tees Valley and County Durham citizens’ jury
Fairness internationally, recognising the varying responsibilities, historic contribution, and capabilities among different countries across the world
Those we spoke with saw the global role and cumulative contribution of the UK to the climate and nature crises and the need for greater responsibly for addressing the problem, as well as the economic benefits that the UK could accrue in taking a leadership role (Webb et al 2021).
“We need to take the rest of the world with us. If you lead the world then business will follow and that will attract investment. If we can build technologies that can be exported, this can create jobs.”
Juror from the Thurrock citizens’ jury
3. FROM BEING DONE TO PEOPLE TO BEING DONE WITH AND BY THEM
“People need to feel that they are part of the change. We need to bring people with us and for it not to feel like we are having things done to us.”
South Wales Valleys citizens’ jury
Moving from an approach that is centralised and remote, to one owned and importantly informed by the public, will be crucial to a successful transition. People are experts in their own lives and aspirations. They have experiences and knowledge which are hugely valuable in designing better policy.
In addition, the transition is now moving from being conducted ‘in the background’ – through the way we generate electricity, for example – to one that will have a noticeable impact on people’s everyday lives: people changing the boiler in their home, changing their car, switching to public transport, or re-training for a new job. If government is to secure enduring public support, then it needs to take people with it on this journey.
4. FROM SILOS AND INDIVIDUALS TO A WHOLE ECONOMY AND ALL-SOCIETY APPROACH
“My concern throughout is that everything seems to lead back to individuals doing their bit, which is important, but change needs to start on a much wider scale than that.”
Juror from the Thurrock citizens’ jury
The climate and nature crises require collective, systemic and interrelated action. Addressing them also needs system wide coordination, not leaving the public to do all of the heavy lifting.
Too often greater emphasis is put on what individuals must do than on creating the context that makes it easier for people to make the right choice for them and the environment. As our jurors argued, while we all have a role to play, we have to work together to change our systems too. People want a partnership between government, business, workers, civil society and the public. Every part of the economy and society must be involved in the transition if it is to be a success.
“We need a joined-up, collaborative approach if we are to see the scale of change required.”
Tees Valley and County Durham citizens’ jury
However, far from coordinating change across society, too often government fails to work effectively even with itself. Whether at a national, regional, or local level, government too often acts in siloes. Likewise, environmental, economic and social policies are often seen as separate and distinct, having little to do with each other. For example, the UK cannot credibly commit to delivering net zero and restoring nature, and then proceed to support or allow decisions such as building new deep coal mines which will increase global carbon emissions (Deben 2021).
5. FROM TOP-DOWN ALONE TO NATIONAL LEADERSHIP WITH LOCAL OWNERSHIP AND DELIVERY
“Local areas need to create their own plans and priorities based on their local assets. They will need the resources to see these plans through.”
Tees Valley and County Durham citizens’ jury
People want strong leadership from government and see that it can play a powerful role in coordinating a national effort, but it must be designed around empowered localities who own and deliver the tailored solutions.
The response to Covid-19 has shown the power of government and what can be achieved, if the political will is there. That does not mean, however, that the answer is a purely top-down approach. Different areas of the UK have different challenges, assets and opportunities, so a ‘one size fits all policy’ won’t secure a transition that is either fair or effective. By contrast, designing policies with local circumstances in mind, through passing powers down to local communities, can help achieve better and fairer outcomes (Raikes 2020).
6. FROM CLIMATE ALONE TO CLIMATE AND NATURE TOGETHER
“Nature and the local wildlife kind of brings communities together for us all really, even though we live in very different areas throughout Wales.”
Juror from the South Wales Valleys citizens’ jury
The need to address the climate crisis increasingly, and rightly, occupies time within political and policy debates. Yet the nature crisis is often treated as its ‘poorer cousin’, receiving significantly less attention and therefore fewer policy commitments, targets and less investment (Laybourn et al 2019). This matters for two principal reasons.
First, the nature crisis is both of equal importance and intimately linked to the climate challenge. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world (Hayhow et al 2016). Our destruction of nature actively accelerates global heating, but its repair can help to address it (Laybourn et al 2019). If we are to achieve net zero without sufficiently addressing our wider impact on nature, the consequences for our economy and society would still be profound.
Second, the great importance that people place on nature and access to green space is not reflected in our national conversation. The jurors want to put nature right at the heart of all climate policy and beyond.
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For the full range of the IPPR material, go here.