Government needs a public engagement strategy that includes trusted consumer champions to tackle a ‘greenlash’, think tank survey reveals.

A survey of 1,500 UK homeowners by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) – a cross-party think tank – has revealed government failure to make people feel confident in taking steps for the net zero transition, jeopardising its success. To turn general support for net zero into individuals taking the necessary actions (like switching over to heat pumps), the Labour government will have to engage in a comprehensive public engagement strategy, SMF said.

The SMF report comes at a time when many governments have been struggling to effectively engage with the public on aspects of the green transition. One stark example is in Germany last year, where new legislation aimed to enable the shift away from fossil fuel boilers forward was met with fierce criticism and protests. The German government’s popularity fell to record lows as a result. The lack of a proactive and trusted public engagement communications strategy was seen as having wrecked the heating transition, and severely damaged public opinion on the matter, the SMF noted.

In SMF’s survey, two-thirds (63%) of respondents believed that ‘reaching net zero by 2050 is a nice idea but it will be too difficult to achieve’. Many feel detached from the actions needed to make the transition a success. Nearly half (48%) felt that the transition is happening to them, not with them. In focus groups with homeowners, participants further expressed that they “don’t feel as if [they’ve] had any involvement whatsoever”. A similar proportion (45%) think that government has not done a good enough job to engage the public on the topic of the net zero transition so far (see notes).

The sense of lack of involvement has kept trust in crucial technologies like heat pumps at low levels, leaving the UK reliant on its largely gas-powered heating system. Despite heat pumps being long-established in different climates all over the world, only 4% of homeowners already had a heat pump, or were in the process of installing one. A quarter said that they would not want a heat pump in their house.

Building trust is also not made easy. Independent information, advice and guidance on low carbon heating is seen as absent by the public. SMF polling found that 50% of people think there is too much conflicting information about heat pumps, clearly showing that misinformation is also taking root among the public. Among low-income groups in particular, there is a concern that being reliant on government funding for  heat pumps will mean putting up with limited options , rather than having a true choice in the matter.

To SMF has recommended that the UK government engages in a comprehensive public engagement strategy. The strategy should draw on independent voices like Martin Lewis’ to provide reliable information about heat pumps, since heating engineers (54%) and consumer websites (53%) are the top go-to sources among homeowners, when SMF asked them where they’d go if they wanted reliable information about heat pumps.

To show its commitment to the technology, government should role model the installation and use of heat pumps by publicising their use in public buildings, like GP surgeries, schools and libraries to build trust in the effectiveness of the technology. This is also crucial, as just over a third (34%) think heat pumps will not be a long-term solution to home heating, either doubting the government’s commitment to it or seeing heat pumps as more of a fad.

Niamh O Regan, Researcher at Social Market Foundation, said:
“The most critical barrier to UK’s net zero ambitions is no longer the belief in the mission, but rather whether people feel they can participate confidently in it. People want to feel that they are part of the transition – and the government has a lot to do to convince them of this.

By directly engaging with the public, drawing on independent trusted voices, and showcasing its own actions that aid the green transition, the government can avoid the greenlash that neighbours in Germany have faced. While financial support remains a necessity, the next stage has to be better communication.

The UK government should not be deterred in its net zero ambitions by other countries’ difficulties, but rather motivated to take better steps – and our research clearly points to public demand for closer engagement.”

Dr Richard Hauxwell-Baldwin, Head of Research, Policy and Campaigns at The MCS Foundation, said:

“17% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from heating our homes, meaning that replacing domestic boilers with heat pumps, on a mass scale, is critical for net zero.

“While record numbers of heat pumps are being installed, the UK is still way behind where we need to be, and the vacuum of information on heat pumps is at least partly to blame.

“The critical next few years in the transition to net zero must see clear, consistent and trusted public communication on the benefits of heat pumps and the process involved in installing them. Government must take a lead on that.”

Notes

1. The SMF report, Whose transition is it anyway?, is published at https://www.smf.co.uk/publications/net-zero-trust-heat-pumps/
2. The SMF survey and focus groups: To understand public feeling, SMF conducted both quantitative and qualitative population research.
   1. SMF conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,500 homeowners.
   2. Across late August and early September 2024, we ran four 90-minute focus groups with a total of 35 homeowners. Groups were split by income (above and below median income) and by location (urban and rural).

3. The report is sponsored by MCS Foundation. The SMF retains full editorial independence.