After the unveiling of a new co-host (!!!), and some discussion about recent visits to Orkney and Ayrshire, we are joined on the pod by Laura Young (@LessWasteLaura) and Andrew Pankhurst from Zero Waste Scotland to examine how we can avoid creating unnecessary food waste in the home.

Reducing Food Waste at Home bitesize course: https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/bitesize-food-waste-course

Matt and Fraser return after a (washout) summer to share their expectations, hopes and any potential concerns about the new Labour government's Net Zero manifesto and policies.

There is also an important update on the future of Local Zero.

Linkedin - Local Zero Podcast

https://www.localzeropod.com

After catching up on professional and personal news, Matt, Becky and Fraser welcome Rachel Coxcoon to the pod. Rachel, a former councillor and founder/director of Climate Guide, and is currently doing a PHD at Lancaster University.

In this episode, we talk about the role of deliberative democracy such as climate assemblies, and how we can use these effectively to achieve Net Zero.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION

[music flourish]

Becky: Hello and welcome to Local Zero with Becky, Matt and Fraser.

Becky: Joining us today is Rachel Coxcoon. Rachel spent many years working at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, leading their work around local and community empowerment. She's a former councillor, Director of Climate Guide, and if that wasn't enough, is now doing a PhD at Lancaster University, exploring how socioeconomic differences and political outlooks influence how people engage with the Net Zero transition.

Fraser: In this episode, we'll be chatting about the role of deliberative democracies such as citizens assemblies in climate policymaking and how to use these effectively as a core part of the Net Zero transition.

Matt: Really looking forward to this one. But before we get stuck into the episode, a plea from us to review Local Zero five stars, of course, wherever you listen to your pods and please do get in touch with us. If there's anything you'd like us to discuss, you can do that via email Localzeropod@gmail.com or Twitter at Local Zero pod.

Matt: We really do love hearing from you all.

Fraser: Yes, and if you enjoy Local Zero, the number one way you can help us is by recommending us to friends and colleagues. So if you could take two seconds to send the pod on to others, we would really, really appreciate it.

Becky: And you can also find further reading, episode transcripts, and the entire back catalogue of Local Zero on our website, localzeropod.Com.

Matt: So we've been asking many of you to get in touch with examples of how Local Zero has informed your work and it's been very heartening to hear the responses. So thank you to all of those who've taken the time. Now we had an email from Isaac Beaver who was recently on the pod about how Local Zero has influenced climate action scorecards in Canada, Isaac said, I thought I would let you know that a Canadian organization called the climate reality project, listen to your original podcast with Hannah and found out about our project.

Matt: They got in contact with us last year, and there is now a scorecards based project in Canada, with the results that are going to launch in June. Hope that's helpful for your funding impact as well as a nice story for a Monday afternoon. Well, Isaac, it was indeed a nice story and it's really great to hear that we're shifting the dial elsewhere.

Matt: Maybe we'll try to organize a chat with them, add that to the website and on the show notes.

Becky: Very, very exciting. That's cool. Like just shows that influence around the world. Absolutely

Matt: amazing. It was. And. A little closer to home. We also had a chat with Alistair McPherson, who's CEO of Plymouth Energy Community.

Matt: So a community owned and led charity that's looking to essentially deliver zero carbon houses and also community owned renewables. Uh, Alistair organize a quick chat with me, 20, 30 minutes. Basically just saying this pod has really helped to inform his thinking, his colleagues thinking about the next steps their organization is going to take.

Matt: So Alistair, thank you for taking the time. It's really, really appreciated.

Fraser: We're everywhere. We're everywhere.

Becky: Ultimately,...

Matt has very exciting news to share before he and Becky welcome James Bonner from Every Tree Tells a Story to discuss his work.

https://everytree.uk/

Joining Becky and Fraser for the first episode of 2024 are Scotland's Makar (National Poet) Kathleen Jamie, and writer Sandy Winterbottom, who talk to us about 'Paperboats' - a campaign led by Scottish writers, poets and creatives, and about the need to repair the divide between the arts and science.

Somehow it's that time of the year once again! Becky, Matt and Fraser break down the highlights and lowlights of the year, are joined by Patrick from the production team to pick out their favourite episodes, and there might - MIGHT - be a Future or Fiction in there somewhere!

Thank you to you, our listeners, for your time, energy, and support this year.

In January this year, Hannah Jewell, then of Climate Emergency UK, joined us to discuss their Council Climate Plan scorecards.

Months later, the results are in, and Isaac Beevor joins the pod to discuss how the roll-out went and discuss the key findings.

Before this, Matt and Fraser break down a busy month of climate news...

Recently, we brought you edited highlights from a live panel discussion held in Edinburgh, entitled Countdown to the General Election: Scotland’s next steps to net-zero.

This episode is the panel discussion in full, including 10 minutes of opening remarks from Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, and over an hour of indepth debate featuring, alongside Chris:

• Charles Hendry, President of BIEE and former UK Government Energy Minister (chair)
• Guy Jefferson, COO Scottish Power Energy Networks
• Professor Janette Webb, chair in Sociology of Organisations, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
• Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree foundation

This discussion considers:

• Are the main parties' decarbonisation goals realistic and achievable?
• Can decarbonisation goals be made more compelling to voters who are concerned that they will have a negative impact on costs of energy and energy security; and what steps are needed to achieve this?
• Where do significant policy gaps lie and what are the priorities for action?
• Recommendations for parties’ manifestos to accelerate a just transition to net-zero.

With thanks to BIEE and Edinburgh University's Business School for allowing us to record and share the discussion.

Matt and Fraser welcome Nick Lyth, Founder of Green Angel Ventures, and Stephen Hall, Head of Awards at Ashden. The Ashden Awards are given to organisations and businesses that deliver local, sustainable energy schemes with social, economic and environmental benefits - and this year, Fraser was involved in deciding the winners.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/the-carbon-brief-quiz-2023/

https://youtube.com/@Ashden_org?si=RbQHRG-C0fGuJL3J

A different episode format for you this time round - Matt and Fraser dissect the key highlights from a recent live panel discussion in Edinburgh, titled Countdown to the General Election: Scotland’s next steps to net-zero.

The next general election is widely expected to take place during 2024. Political parties are already spending significant time developing their manifestos, where energy and climate change are likely to feature heavily.

Scotland lies at the heart of this debate. Both Scottish and UK governments have been warned by the CCC that there is no clear delivery plan to meet its 2030 and 2040 interim carbon targets.

Featuring insights from:

Charles Hendry, President of BIEE and former UK Government Energy Minister (chair)

Guy Jefferson, COO Scottish Power Energy Networks

Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee

Professor Janette Webb, chair in Sociology of Organisations, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh

Chris Birt of the Joseph Rowntree foundation

In 2022, Swaffham Prior, a village in East Cambridgeshire, became the first village to develop a rural heat network. Before welcoming Emma Flether, who worked on this project and is now Low Carbon Homes Director at Octopus Energy, Becky and Fraser discuss what we can expect from fuel bills this winter, in the midst of plummeting UK temperatures.

Fraser is back, just in time to discuss the recent party conferences - before the team welcome Rachel Mills from Citizens Advice, and Mairi Brookes from Low Carbon Hub, to discuss how soon we can make our homes smarter and faster.

The long-awaited 2024 General Election is just around the corner - but how important will climate change be in the context of voting intention? Joining Matt and Fraser to discuss this, and analyse the key differences between the manifestos, are Daisy Powell-Chandler from Public First, and Sir John Curtice, political scientist and Professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, who you'll all recognise from election nights gone by.

https://www.publicfirst.co.uk/

https://www.meyland.co.uk/podcast

https://www.carbonbrief.org/uk-election-2024-what-the-manifestos-say-on-energy-and-climate-change/

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/environment-energy-resources/news/2024/jun/comparing-party-manifestos-energy-policy

In 2021, Scottish Government committed to making four Scottish Islands Carbon Neutral by 2040. This was increased to six islands following COP26. The ‘lucky six’ islands selected were Barra, Great Cumbrae, Hoy, Islay, Raasay and Yell – and, to quote the Scottish Government, this would ‘lay the foundations for future action relevant for all other islands in Scotland.’

Matt and Becky chat to Darragh Keenaghan and Rosie MacInnes, who are both working on the Carbon Neutral Islands project, to discuss their progress so far.

Matt and Becky reveal some very exciting news from the Local Zero team (!) before discussing the logistics of the school commute - and then welcome Camille Warrington from the Shawlands Bike Bus to discuss this movement in more detail.

How is it August already?!... As the summer holidays come to an end, Matt, Becky and Fraser are joined by Local Zero icon Dr Jeff Hardy to discuss both their personal and broader highlights and lowlights of the year so far.

We can’t live without water, but who controls the supply, and who looks after it, has been a highly debated and contentious issue in the UK, particularly in recent years.

Matt, Becky and Fraser catch up on a hefty week of climate-related headlines before welcoming Hugo Tagholm, formerly of Surfers Against Sewage, and now executive director and vice president of Oceana, to talk about the controversies regarding water ownership and how best to tackle them from a national, and local perspective.

Why is place-based work so important?

For the 75th (!) episode of Local Zero, Becky and a rain-battered Fraser are joined by Naomi Luhde-Thompson, leader of Rights Community Action, to discuss how we can work with communities, not for them.

www.rightscommunityaction.co.uk

How can we utilise our garden spaces, balconies, window boxes and/or pots to benefit the environment?

Matt, Fraser and Becky catch up on all things summer, and discuss their own gardening skills before being joined by Kate Bradbury, an award-winning author and journalist, who specialises in wildlife gardening.

What actions could usefully be taken to ensure these projects empower and enrich communities?

In the fourth and final episode of our Carbon Offsetting for Communities mini-series, we explore how projects associated with nature-based carbon offsetting positively and negatively impact communities.

How are these carbon offsetting schemes financed and governed, and who actually owns these projects?

The third and penultimate episode in our Community Carbon Offsetting mini series features many different voices and perspectives from the event held at the University of Strathclyde in March 2023. Consider this a deep dive into the world of nature based offsetting, guided expertly by your host, Professor Matt Hannon.

The UK music industry contributes billions of pounds to the economy every year, but just how carbon intensive is streaming and touring? Becky and Matt are joined for a fascinating discussion by Lewis Jamieson from Music Declares Emergency, and Carly McLachlan and Christopher Jones from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Becky and Fraser double as both co-hosts AND expert guests this time - updating Matt on a major local and community energy project they've been running for the Scottish Government, as part of their work at Regen. The team talk about how and why local and community energy can support a fairer transition to net zero. We also hear insights from a 'People's Panel' that was run as part of the project, asking how energy can be made to work for everyone, including low income, vulnerable, and 'hard to reach' communities.

How do agriculture and food production affect climate change and biodiversity, and can we fully decarbonise this industry?

Becky, Fraser and Matt are joined by agriculture and environment consultant Keesje Avis, and Mike Robinson, Chief Exec of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and Co-Chair of the 'Farming for 1.5 Degrees' report.

How do our social relations with other people and places influence decisions about domestic energy retrofit?

Becky and Matt reunite at the University of Strathclyde to speak with Professors Lucie Middlemiss and Mark Davis from the University of Leeds, and hear separate case studies from Iain Cairns, Ruth Bookbinder and Giulia Mininni.

How do we frame, evaluate and facilitate community benefit from voluntary nature-based carbon offset projects?

The second episode from our Community Carbon Offsetting mini seires is a live recorded Q&A session featuring Hamish Trench, CEO of the Scottish Land Commission, Sarah Nicholas, Carbon Projects Manager at Forestry and Land Scotland, and Ailsa Raeburn, Head of the Community Assets Team and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Chair of Community Land Scotland.

In March, Matt hosted the Community Carbon Offsetting conference at the Unversity of Strathclyde, which formed a fascinating gathering of people to discuss how land use and ownership is changing across rural Scotland in response to the booming carbon offset market.

This mini series will showcase highlights from the conference - the first of which is this passionate talk about community with reknowned writer, academic and activist Alastair McIntosh.

You can access the slides Alastair refers to here: https://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Portals/80/SUIIProgrammes/Community%20Carbon%20Offsetting/Community%20Carbon%20Offsetting%20March%202023%20workshop.pdf

Edinburgh is both prosperous and wealthy - but also has unique and complex issues to tackle when it comes to reaching their ambitious Net Zero targets. This episode is a deep dive into Scotland's capital city, featuring Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Bridie Ashrowan, Chief Executive of EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisation's Council) and Matthew Lancashire, Director of Zero Matters.

What role do energy network operators - or DNOs - have in developing smart local energy systems? Becky - along with guest co-host Dr Jeff Hardy - lead an EnergyREV panel discussion with:

Maxine Frerk, director at Grid Edge Policy

Adam Bell, head of policy at Stonehaven

Melanie Bryce, SSEN Oxfordshire programme director on Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire)

Doug Cook, deputy director at OFGEM responsible for digitalisation and decentralisation

What is the role of energy-smart places and smart local energy approaches in securing a just transition? In this Local Zero Live, recorded at EnergyREV's final summit in central London, Becky and Fraser welcome a panel of guests to explore how tech innovations and energy policy can work fairly, and for citizens and communities.

Guests in this episode:

Karen Barass of Climate Insights

Donal Brown, University of Sussex research fellow

Joanne Wade from the Association for Decentralised Energy and the UK Energy Research Centre

Syed Ahmed from Community Energy London

Fraser has finally completed his PhD ... but what was it about? This episode is dedicated to the themes of Fraser's thesis, exploring social inequalities in uptake of low carbon technologies like solar pv and heat pumps, and uncovers ways to rectify those inequalities at local and community levels. Congratulations Fraser!

Some elements of Fraser's PhD work are already publicly available - here:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421521003827

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030142152200057X

Concluding our four-part mini-series focusing on the work of Innovate UK's Prospering From the Energy Revolution (PFER) Programme, Matt and Fraser chat with Eva Goudouneix from Repowering London and Jamie Rea from the Electric Storage Company. This week: how to engage the public with energy projects and technology. 

This penultimate instalment of our month-long Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) series focuses on Skills and the Supply Chain. Matt, Becky and Fraser chat acronyms, and a personal experience of issues faced by those trying to find work in the energy sector, before being joined by Louise Alter from Equans and Melanie Bryce from SSEN. 

This February, the Local Zero team are bringing you weekly podcasts focused on the work of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) funding innovation. This week the focus is on finance. Joining us for the second of these special episodes are Cheryl Hiles, Director of Energy Capital (West Midlands Combined Authority) and Tim Rose, Programme Manager of Energy Superhub Oxford. But before all that, the team celebrate the submission of a certain PhD...

Matt is joined by Dr Jen Roberts as they share the launch of their brand new institute - the Strathclyde Institute for Sustainable Communities, or SISC for short. We hear from some of the attendees and also some selected highlights from the event itself.

This February, the Local Zero team are bringing you a new podcast every single week! These special episodes are all focused on the work of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) innovation funding. First up, a focus on policy and regulation to unleash smart, local energy systems (SLES). This one features Chris Dunham from Carbon Descent, and Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive of Regen. 

How well do our local councils perform when it comes to tackling the climate crisis? One not-for-profit organisation - Climate Emergency UK - makes it its business to rate and measure the performance and progress of local authorities, with their innovative Council Climate Action Scorecards. For our first episode of 2023, Becky and Matt are joined by Hannah Jewell, the group's Campaigns and Policy Officer.

Joining the usual team for a look back at 2022 in energy (with festive drinks and mince pies in hand) are Strathclyde University's Dr Jen Roberts and Manish Joshi. Together, they unpack an eventful (!) year, discuss key learning points from the energy crisis, and look for reasons to be cheerful. There is also the long-awaited return of Future or Fiction.

How are communities benefitting financially from commercial suppliers paying them for playing host to wind farms? Matt chats to Ian Leaver, Chief Officer of Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company, and SSE Renewables' Lindsay Dougan, to explore the benefits of these schemes, using Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston as an example.

Scottish Power's Robin Cathcart and Owen Black on the company's role in helping Scotland and the UK to decarbonise. Scottish Power is part of the Iberdrola Group, which recently announced a target to be net zero in all scopes by 2040 - 10 years sooner than had been previously aimed for.

Are there reasons to be cheerful about climate change? What are the most data-driven changes we can make to really move the dial on carbon emissions? Dr Hannah Ritchie is Head of Research at Our World In Data, an online platform hosted by Oxford University which aims to 'make progress against the world’s largest problems'. Matt speaks with Hannah about how the data she sees and collates tells a surprisingly optimistic story - and how numbers can be a powerful tool to hold governments and policy-makers to account.

https://ourworldindata.org/

A year since Glasgow hosted COP26, the team reflect on the event's legacy for the city, and particularly for Strathclyde University. Matt, Becky and Fraser are joined by Dr Roddy Yarr, Strathclyde's Executive Lead for Sustainability, and Manish Joshi, CEO of the Students Union.