Public Engagement on Grid Infrastructure: Roundtable Summary Note published this week
Published on 18 July 2025
The summary note from December’s Public Engagement on Grid Infrastructure roundtable was published this week on the Rapid Projects government website. ACCESS Director Patrick Devine-Wright was one of five environmental social scientists consulted.
ACCESS Director Patrick Devine-Wright (University of Exeter) was one of five social science experts invited to attend a roundtable discussion on Public Engagement with Grid Transformation in December 2024.
Also invited were Catherine Queen (University of Liverpool), Melanie Rohse (Angela Ruskin University), Matthew Cotton (Teeside University), and Jason Chilvers (University of East Anglia).
The summary note from that roundtable was published this week on the Rapid Projects government website.
Key points from the discussion included how to balance ‘fast’ and ‘fair’, how to effectively engage with the public, and the importance of a diversity of trusted voices in presenting information.
Patrick said: “It was encouraging to attend a roundtable discussion on Public Engagement with Grid Transformation involving five social science experts… working together to ensure evidence-based policy making on Climate Mitigation and Net Zero. Not just ‘Clean Energy 2030’ but ‘Fair Energy 2030’.”
The event was organised by Rory Walshe of GO-Science, and the Minister for Climate Change, Kerry McCarthy, DESNZ Chief Scientific Advisor Paul Monks, and the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor Angela McLean were present.