Reflecting on societal engagement during and since the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2019 Climate Assmbly UK, Jason Chilvers and Tom Hargreaves argue that here is no easy response to the highly dynamic, interconnected and uncertain landscape of societal engagement revealed by Climate Assembly UK and COVID-19. What it does show, however, is the inadequacies of the discrete, static and one-off approaches that currently predominate. Communication, behavioural change and citizens’ assemblies (amongst other invited approaches) have a role to play, but will not be enough on their own. The engagement mix for energy and net zero transitions needs to be much more ambitious, diverse, joined-up and system-wide. It needs to be ongoing and responsive to how public values and actions are constantly morphing, including in response to issues that are seemingly well outside of the energy system.
What is needed, Jason Chilvers and Tom Hargreaves suggest, is a whole-systems approach to track, trace and test societal engagement with energy and climate change on an ongoing basis. This must be capable of tracking diverse forms of societal engagement as they emerge and change over time. It involves tracing their interconnections and the different public visions, values and actions produced. It means developing and testing new systemic practices and institutional arrangements for public engagement that embrace and are responsive to this vibrancy, rather than seeking solely to control, suppress or eliminate it.