NIMBYism is blocking progress in the UK energy sector
A new white paper, Beyond Borders, presents a difficult picture for Britain’s power supply, with supply falling short of demand due to localised public opinion.
Produced by Stack Data Strategy and Hanbury Strategy, the assessment – which takes into account the views of 1,550 adults – revealed some stark realities about sentiment surrounding UK energy. 87% of respondents expressed concern about the dependence on overseas imports to power the country, however, using the hypothetical example of a new nuclear power station, support for the proposed development plummeted from 16% to just 1% when those asked were told it would be built in their area.
According to analysts, this reflects a serious problem in terms of Britain’s ability to built modern energy infrastructure, with neighbourhood groups frequently standing in the way of developments that could improve self-sufficiency in this sector. While nuclear is often criticised by environmental groups who argue the technology is not a truly clean energy source, the UK Government currently a goal of reaching 24GW of nuclear power by 2050, equivalent to 25% of total projected electricity demand by that date.
While 42% of the British public support the building of nuclear developments in principle, with just 26% opposing, these numbers change dramatically when plans involve locations close to the homes of respondents. In this instance, support dropped to 35% and opposition rose to 34%. This ‘hostility’ is more prevalent in some demographics than others, too. Those with a university degree were more likely to voice support to infrastructure being built anywhere in the UK, although backing fell y 22 percentage points after they were told it would be close to their homes.
In the south of England, nuclear support plummeted by around 25% for developments close to the homes of those asked for an opinion. Rural residents were also highly opposed to local energy developments, despite showing reasonable levels of support in principle. Researchers have flagged these results as particularly concerning considering the UK is already at risk of falling behind the US and EU on energy transition, as both trading markets are now benefitting from far reaching legislation aimed at stimulating the green economy and net zero investment.
Currently, around one-third of British voters are concerned at the prospect of companies relocating away from the UK to take advantage of environmental tax breaks, with 55% agreeing similar policies should be introduced by Downing Street. A number of so-called ‘reputation levers’ are identified in the report, which can be used to help build trust and support for major infrastructure projects among local communities. These include developing an in-depth understanding of the audience, focusing on communicating the core business benefits, demonstrating wider impacts of a development, mastering effective communication which is easy to understand, and ensuring relevance to national priorities.
You can find the full white paper, Beyond Borders, here.
‘Energy security and net zero are both firmly planted priorities for the Government and public but the evidence is that NIMBYism risks stifling the vast scale of infrastructure investment required. Businesses working to meet the Government’s energy security ambitions face a stiff challenge getting to grips with the values of their audiences,’ said Ameet Gill, Partner at Hanbury Strategy.
‘How organisations navigate public support can help or hinder the fortunes of their investments. For the UK to be successful in achieving energy security, the gap between the needs and wants needs to be closed,’ they continued. ‘That starts with understanding public opinion and connecting to their values, and ends with demonstrating impact on bread and butter issues beyond the core business.’
More on UK energy transition:
North Sea energy giant cancels projects over UK’s ‘unfavourable fiscal regime’
New UK energy consultancy hopes to streamline industry decarbonisation
Image: Jakob Madsen