Accelerating Carbon Capability for an Equitable, Sustainable Society (ACCESS)

气候变化的影响现在正在世界各地感受到，如果不大幅减少碳排放，数十亿人将受到影响。2019年出现了呼吁政府采取更大行动的抗议活动，英国通过了到2050年实现净零碳经济的立法。今年，新冠肺炎深刻改变了人们的日常生活，提升了更多个人和社区对低碳生活方式的渴望。然而，挑战是巨大的。为了实现国际气候目标，在接下来的10年里，需要每年实现大流行导致的2020年排放量下降8%的预测。今年9月，英国气候大会强调了改变全社会日常做法和惯例的必要性，并呼吁通过教育、选择和公平来支撑实现净零排放的道路。不幸的是，做出低碳选择对个人来说可能很困难。理解碳排放的来源往往需要技术知识，当涉及到企业和政界人士的绿色主张时，可能很难区分事实和虚构。即使个人有动力，要过低碳生活方式，他们需要的不仅仅是知识。大量排放来自家庭取暖或发送电子邮件等必不可少的日常活动。“脱碳”对于个人和家庭来说是困难和昂贵的，比如为城市居民更换燃气锅炉。社区层面的行动在实现变革方面可能更有效：团体可以游说政客补贴清洁锅炉，甚至自己实施区域供暖解决方案。有必要了解我们多样化的人口如何变得更有“碳能力”(CC)。这意味着让个人能够过上他们认为有价值和目标的低碳生活。正如碳足迹不同一样，针对不同人的解决方案也会有所不同。家庭供暖的例子说明了这一点：区域供暖可能适用于人口稠密的城市地区，但在农村地区，热泵和生物质锅炉可能更合适。重要的不仅仅是地理位置：饮食、旅行习惯、取暖偏好以及智能电表和恒温器等节能技术的使用都会因年龄、教育程度、收入、种族和就业状况等因素而有所不同。那么，如何在不同的社会群体中提升和加速CC？这项研究通过四个任务来解决这个问题。首先，将在2021年和2023年发布一项关于CC的全国性调查，以监测随着英国从新冠肺炎和相关的经济衰退中复苏，CC的变化。第二，将在英国对四个不同的群体进行深入的实地调查：(1)低收入的社会住房租户；(2)很少使用数字技术的60岁以上人群；(3)第一代移民社区；(4)员工少于10人的企业，他们在疫情期间适应了在家工作。这项任务将产生深入的见解，了解如何在这些“难以触及”的群体中加速CC。在任务3中，将根据任务1和2以及对社会科学文献的广泛回顾，从理论上发展碳能力的概念。将创建不同群体之间的碳能力模型，并与参与者和其他利益相关者一起进行测试。任务4涉及与社区团体、企业和政府官员合作，为提高任务2中四个群体的碳能力制定实用解决方案。该项目可以帮助英国实现其净零碳雄心。它将解释英国的碳足迹是如何以及为什么发生变化的，并与利益相关者合作，确定并寻求机会，使个人能够过上充实的低碳生活。

The effects of climate change are now being felt around the world, and without a drastic reduction in carbon emissions, billions of people will suffer. 2019 saw protests calling for greater action from governments, and the UK passed legislation for a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. This year, COVID-19 has profoundly altered everyday life and increased the desire amongst more individuals and communities to lead lower carbon lifestyles.However, the challenge is enormous. To achieve international climate targets, the 8% predicted fall in 2020 emissions resulting from the pandemic needs to be achieved every year for the next 10 years. In September, the UK Climate Assembly highlighted the need for changes to everyday practices and routines across all of society, and called for education, choice and fairness to underpin the path to net zero.Unfortunately, making low carbon choices can be difficult for individuals. Understanding where carbon emissions arise often requires technical knowledge, and it can be hard to tell fact from fiction when it comes to 'green' claims from businesses and politicians. Even if individuals are motivated, it is not just knowledge they need to lead lower carbon lifestyles. Substantial emissions come from essential everyday activities like heating homes or sending emails. 'Decarbonising' these is difficult and expensive for individuals and families, such as replacing gas boilers for those living in cities. Community-level action can be more effective at achieving change: groups might lobby politicians for subsidies on cleaner boilers, or even implement district heating solutions themselves.There is a need to understand how our diverse population can become more 'carbon capable' (CC). This means enabling and empowering individuals to lead low carbon lives that they judge to have value and purpose.Just as carbon footprints vary, so will solutions for different people. The example of heating homes illustrates this: district heating may work for dense, urban areas, but in rural areas heat pumps and biomass boilers may be more suitable. And it's not just geography that matters: diet, travel habits, heating preferences and the use of carbon-saving technologies like smart-meters and thermostats all vary according to factors such as age, educational attainment, income, ethnicity and employment status. So how can CC be enhanced and accelerated amongst diverse groups in society?This research addresses this question through four tasks.First, a national survey on CC will be issued in 2021 and again in 2023, to monitor change in CC as the UK recovers from COVID-19 and related economic recession. Household energy usage data will also be collected over this period and used to calculate carbon footprints.Secondly, in-depth fieldwork will be conducted with four distinct groups in the UK: (1) social housing tenants on low incomes; (2) people aged over-60 who make little use of digital technologies; (3) first-generation immigrant communities; and (4) businesses with less than 10 staff who have adapted to home-working during the pandemic. This task will generate in-depth insights into what it will take to accelerate CC amongst these 'hard-to-reach' groups.In Task 3, the concept of carbon capability will be developed theoretically, drawing on Tasks 1 and 2 and an extensive review of social scientific literature. Models for carbon capability amongst different groups will be created and tested with participants and other stakeholders.Task 4 involves working with community groups, businesses and government officials to produce practical solutions for increasing carbon capability amongst the four groups in Task 2.This project can help the UK to achieve its net-zero carbon ambitions. It will explain how and why carbon footprints are changing in the UK, and work with stakeholders to identify and pursue opportunities for empowering individuals to lead fulfilling, low carbon lives.