16 May 2025
Net zero: The power of together in a time of division
When you turn on the news, it’s hard not to feel despondent. It seems that the world has become increasingly divided, and the people in power seem to be actively stoking the fire. We’re seeing a surge in mis- and dis-information online and important issues of the day like climate change and net zero are now heavily politicised, used as election fodder instead of being at the heart of true systemic change.
In recent months, the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, has claimed that net zero cannot be achieved by 2050 “without a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us”. And now we’re watching on as newly elected Reform councils promise to block any net zero and renewable infrastructure plans, with little thought to the £1 billion in local investment and more than 12,000 jobs that will be put at risk.
It’s something that – over our thirty years working in renewables – we’ve seen time and time again. The clean energy movement has always been targeted by a very noisy minority, but it doesn’t mean that progress has not been made. To the contrary, 2024 was the first full year in which renewables generated over 50% of the UK’s electricity and we’re now halfway to net zero as emissions have been cut by over 50% compared to 1990 levels. That is something to be celebrated. We also know that most people are in favour of net zero, with 82% of the population on board with using renewables such as wind and solar to provide electricity, fuel and heat.
Despite some political parties suggesting that action on climate change is not possible without harming ordinary people, what’s abundantly clear is that inaction is already causing us harm. Instead, a just transition will ensure that the move to a decarbonised energy system happens with people, and not to people.
“Just transition is essentially a strategy to ensure, as we take action on climate, that we are doing it in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible…it’s a process of change where we’re maximising the social and economic benefits and opportunities in terms of jobs, quality of jobs, gender balance, community impact and so on and then also minimising and managing any negative impacts… ensuring that we are involving communities in the process of change so they are agents of change in the process.”
On a political level, we want to see people put at the heart of net zero plans, from energy efficient housing and support for local projects to upskilling and training for oil and gas workers navigating the transition. In fact, new research has found the making UK’s windfall tax on oil and gas producers permanent would generate vital funds for the shift to a low carbon economy, including a training fund for oil and gas workers.
On a business level, there’s several ways we’re contributing. For starters, we’ve invested over £21 million in community energy projects – like England’s largest, 100% community-owned wind turbine in our home city of Bristol. Not only do community energy projects generate clean power and contribute to our wider net zero targets, but they also provide community groups with income that can be used to fund other important initiatives. As well as supporting communities to own and operate their own projects, we recently announced our commitment to offering the local community an opportunity to own a stake in our future projects. Shared ownership arrangements like this are a real example of communities and businesses working together to achieve a common goal.
Our community benefit programme also provides energy efficiency grants to the communities living close to our sites, helping important shared buildings stay warmer and cheaper to run during the winter. Since 2016, we’ve awarded 70 grants to 58 community buildings, totalling over £225,000 nationally.
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