UK leading the way on Net Zero – but are European neighbours set to overtake?

When it comes to awareness of the term Net Zero, Brits are the reigning champions in Europe, according to a major new report from Cadent – but we’re losing ground on changes of magnitude.

Net Zero League Table

Sample of over 3,000 people across the UK, Germany and Netherlands.

The UK is one of the most advanced nations in Europe in terms of understanding Net Zero but new findings show our European neighbours are more likely to have made bigger, more impactful energy efficiency / carbon reduction changes.

The research, conducted by Cadent in partnership with Verve and a team of leading academics, indicates Net Zero is more widely talked about in the UK – and a higher proportion understand it to mean ‘reaching carbon neutrality’ – whilst a greater percentage in Germany (39%) and the Netherlands (47%) say they’ve never heard of the term before.

However, the British public sees changes like recycling and reducing food waste as being key tactics to creating effective change, with the research uncovering a lower adoption of sustainable changes in the home in the UK than in Germany and the Netherlands.

Consumers have mixed attitudes to replacing gas appliances and many cannot see a vision for change . Changing a boiler, for example, could save money and reduce carbon footprint, yet one in three Brits say they will never consider this.

Mark Belmega, Director of Social Purpose and Sustainability at Cadent, said: “Somewhat reassuringly, our research confirms that change is possible and it is already happening, albeit gradually. But it also raises serious concerns about the pace at which we’re moving.

“If the UK is to meet its ambitious environmental targets each and every one of us is going to have to change our behaviours, but larger-scale changes will have the greatest impact and people in the UK appear less comfortable with making these.

“It’s likely to be because changes such as replacing gas central heating, involve a higher upfront cost, while solutions such as recycling are simple to do and can actually save money in the short term. Our discussions with academics, social media analysis and literature reviews also point to the absence of a clear and inclusive vision, inconsistent messaging and a lack of appropriate infrastructure, that are all essential macro-level conditions that are required to stimulate larger scale behavioural change.

“What we need is a human-centric vision from a trusted source, as well as structures, systems and technology that enable uptake of new behaviours. At Cadent, we’re committed to supporting our customers through the energy transition and it’s essential that the industry is united, with a positive and cohesive message and a consistent plan.”