“Without public trust, effective climate policy is impossible,” warns Vincent de Gooyert, sociologist and lead scientist of a paper jointly authored with several researchers from the Dutch Radboud University published this week in Earth System Governance.
“You see this, for example, in the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS). This technology is essential for achieving climate targets, but it is still barely off the ground. Industry wants government subsidies, the government says there is no public support for this, and society wants to see industry take responsibility first. But then you’re stuck in a vicious circle.”
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The climate debate is currently often framed from a techno-economic perspective, explains De Gooyert. “Every solution must have direct market value. If that is lacking, no one is willing to take the first step. But a solution such as CCS has no direct market value. In addition to technology, regulations and subsidies, you really need that support, because a policy without support mainly results in resistance.”
De Gooyert collaborated with colleagues Senni Määttä, Sandrino Smeets and Heleen de Coninck on the article. Their recommendations are based, among other things, on extensive experience with discussions between government, business, citizens and other stakeholders on climate issues. They work with environmental organisations, industry and governments in European countries including Finland, Sweden, Spain and Belgium.
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“What keeps coming back is that policy only works if there is mutual trust. People often think that if we explain it well, support will come naturally. But then you mainly have one-way communication, and research shows that this can be counterproductive. What you end up with is people thinking: there go those arrogant policymakers again, telling us what’s good for us, and if we don’t agree, they’ll push it through anyway.”
De Gooyert and his colleagues advocate the use of independent, scientific advisory councils, but also initiatives such as citizens’ councils. “Citizens must be able to form an informed opinion independently, and there must be room for complexity and nuance. We must be honest with each other in such sessions: there are difficult choices to be made, but people must be given openness about the options and the consequences. Citizens deserve a say in their environment. To offer comfort to local residents, governments and businesses will also have to make sacrifices. We won’t get there with the current method. Then we’ll remain in the situation we’re in now: no one willing to take big steps on climate policy, while time is running out.”
The problem with public trust is, that big fossil fuel is going to start a disinformation campaign against any green project. That needs to be fought, but many politicians rather take the money from big fossil fuel. The media also takes a lot of advertising money from fossil fuel companies, which leads to them promoting their views.
The good part is that by destroying the fossil fuel market, lobbying of all forms becomes a lot less useful to the fossil fuel industry.
And it goes further than that. There is a lot of support which could be harvested. A lot of people for example in central Europe would like to get rid of their natural gas heating and buy a heat pump. Or install solar on their own rooftop to contribute. I think there are a lot of smaller and bigger issues with energy transition which need to be tackled to get us to where we want to be. I feel in addition to lacking support, we also in fact have a lot of support, which we don’t really make use of.
The actual problem is that you still believe in minor problems that can be fixed instead of accepting the reality: it’s not a bug but a feature.
Or to take your example: Those people want heat pumps and solar only because they can’t easily get them. If they were easily accessible then the fossil fuel lobby would have already spend money years ago to brain-wash those people into hating solar and heat pumps.
It’s not a lack of support, lack of communication or some minor issues. The real problem are malicious actors with money and influence.
Those people want heat pumps and solar only because they can’t easily get them
Uh, what?
The reason people want them is because they were over at their neighbours who showed them the reduced or even negative energy bills.
It’s very fucking hard to brainwash people to the point they wouldn’t understand that getting money from the energy company and paying way smaller bills is better for you than having to pay more.
Yeah, the energy lobby lobbied against thing’s which harm them, but they’re not omnipotent. They can slow progress, but on a continent-wide level, it’s kinda impossible to stop it.
The reason people want them is because they were over at their neighbours who showed them the reduced or even negative energy bills.
And now compare that one neighbour who showed you the heat pump and the bill with the 100 messages on social media and the news telling you that heat pumps are a scam. That they are actually much too expensive. And don’t even work in cold winters when they are really needed. Also it’s a conspiracy anyway of insane green maniacs anyway. Better get a new oil heater quickly as “they” will force you to install that non-working trash soon. Now repeat this 24/7, 365d/y and watch how the majority of people actually react given the choice between reality and massive propaganda and desinformation.
That’s what actually happens. Long before access to home solar and heat pumps becomes viable the desinformation agents will have already started.
And now compare that one neighbour who showed you the heat pump and the bill with the 100 messages on social media and the news telling you that heat pumps are a scam. That they are actually much too expensive. And don’t even work in cold winters when they are really needed.
I’m not on Facebook or other whine media. I’m Finnish. Our winters are… pretty cold. I once slept outside in -40. No need to specify C or F, they converge at that temp. Pumps worked fine. So… is that an “actually cold winter”?
But see, the reason they actually work here is because we build very well insulated houses. Mainly because of the cold-ass winters. The better your insulation is, the more energy efficient your pump. If you live in a place where buildings aren’t built as well and poorly insulated, then, well, the pump won’t be as efficient. Might even seem like “a scam”.
The EU at one point demanded every member country improve heat insulation in new buildings by like X-% and I’m unsure what happened with it, but it was sort of theoretically impossible (or at least extremely hard) for Finland as our insulation is already top notch, so there’s hardly room to improve.
Also it’s a conspiracy anyway of insane green maniacs anyway.
Seems like you’ve just been too lazy to actually read up on them.
And I know a bunch of people who literally get paid during the summer months, because they’re generating more (with solar panels that is) than they need and giving it back to the grid.
The fact that you think they’re a “green maniac conspiracy” is showing either that you’ve bought the propaganda of fossil fuel or you’re purposefully spreading it.
I don’t know where this difference in perception comes from. Seems Ooops is from Germany and I’m too. And I mean I live in my own little filter bubble, but I’d say people I know still do things like talk to the neighbours or have some company do the maths on the specific house… So idk. I could see a cultural difference compared to someone from the USA, where a lot of people are politically opposed to renewable energy. And they have a lot of propaganda on TV and whatever. I don’t think this is normal for Europe though. I see a lot of solar on roofs here. And allegedly heating pump companies have a lot of jobs and a backlog. And we used to get our natural gas from Russia, so there’s that as well. So by looking at my own surroundings, and talking to people, I’d say most people aren’t fooled by social media. They’re well aware of their options and that natural gas already got more expensive and it’s likely going to increase even more in the long term.
I don’t watch mainstream media really. Just shows.
But yeah, I’m with you on that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the things on the agenda list of Ruski bots. “Nooo, please don’t be energy independent!”
Well, they’re definitely a thing. But I don’t think we forgot what happened 2 years ago and the substantial amount of money every household had to pay for energy and heating during that winter. And how that was attempted extortion by Putin himself.
There definitely are some people who twist the facts and spread misinformation about that. And I think we have a substantial amount of conspiracy nuts and people who already are down the rabbit hole. And the modern way of getting most of the news from social media certainly doesn’t help with that. But I think as a normal person you’d have a lot of family, friends and coworkers telling you how you’re insane.
Without public trust, pretty much nothing is possible, tbh.
We’ve got all the resources and solutions and good will. But because we haven’t got democracy, we can’t have good things. The greedy lead us and they don’t care for what people think. They only live to serve themselves.
