The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) UK hosts the ‘Going Green’ conference

The Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton, in partnership with the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), current host institution of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) UK, and the University of Strathclyde Centre for Sustainable Development hosted the ‘‘Going Green: Debating the socio-economic impacts of achieving Net Zero’ conference at the University of Southampton.

Focusing on the economic and social factors that will drive or impede the Net Zero transition in the UK, the conference brought together both established and early career researchers from SDSN UK member institutions, policy makers and industry professionals. The aim of the conference was to mobilise collective knowledge and experience to identify the most pressing, cross-sector research questions surrounding a Net Zero future.

Prof Keith Bell, Scottish Power Professor of Future Power Systems at the University of Strathclyde and member of the Climate Change Committee, delivered a thought-provoking keynote highlighting the importance of policy direction and delivery, and the fact that the UK’s path to Net Zero is not only dependent on low-carbon technologies but on how societal choices are enabled and moved in a low-carbon direction.

The keynote was followed by a captivating panel discussion focussing on the Net Zero transition from different perspectives, including innovation, a just transition, public health co-benefits and community engagement. The panel was comprised of Prof Paul Ekins - Professor of Resources and Environment Policy at UCL, Dr Sarah Whitmee - Associate Professor at LSHTM, Dr Jo Hamilton – Postdoctoral Research Impact Fellow at the University of Exeter and David Hutchinson - Director of Greentech South.

The second part of the day included poster presentations from PhD students and early career researchers who had the opportunity to showcase their research. The afternoon was rounded off by a breakout session facilitated by Prof Tracy Morse, Head of the Strathclyde Centre for Sustainable Development. Participants had the chance to reflect on the keynote and panel discussion insights and explore questions about techno-socio-economic barriers to achieving Net Zero and solutions to accelerate efforts. To further these conversations and enable continued collaboration, the conference organisers announced a seed funding call for projects related to the key themes that emerged from the conference.

As the challenges around building a Net Zero future become more and more pressing, the event provided an opportunity for engaging with the complexity associated with achieving Net Zero, understanding both interlinkages and spillovers, and considering how academic research from across disciplines can help support this critical transition.