Governance for net zero project evaluation: Experiences from UK local authorities

Abstract

Abstract The United Kingdom has committed, through a legally-binding target, to achieve net zero emissions in the UK economy by 2050. The UK government envisages local authorities as being critical actors in achieving net zero. However, no coherent national guidance regarding net zero implementation exists for local governments. In the context of evolving national- and regional- scale energy planning, with the formation of Great British Energy, the National Energy System Operator and other bodies, local authorities will have an increasing role in energy planning. However, funding environments, human resources and technical capacity remain constrained. Strong governance mechanisms will be required to manage the socio-technical transition to a net zero future in the UK, and to engage with multiple actors across spatial and political scales. This article draws on research examining the challenges that UK local authorities (at County Council, District Council and Combined Authority scales) are having with access to and analysis of data for meaningful evaluation of current projects and future project planning. Through semi-structured interviews with 19 separate actors from UK local authorities, national bodies and consultancies working in net zero with UK local governments, we: • Examine the evaluation gap in carbon reduction, project costs and progress to net zero. • Consider the effect that an uncoordinated national policy framework for net zero is having on the ability for local authorities to effectively evaluate future project development routes. • Discuss how the increasingly adopted Local Area Energy Planning methodology is affecting local net zero policy and spatial planning, and what governance frameworks are needed to ensure that a net zero project is well-facilitated, timely and accelerated. Our findings highlight principles for how governance for monitoring and evaluation of net zero projects is a necessary foundation for assessing the success or failure of interventions, having relevance in the UK and beyond.

Key findings

• ▸There is currently no coherent national guidance for local governments regarding net zero implementation in the UK.
• ▸UK local authorities face significant constraints in funding, human resources, and technical capacity for project evaluation.
• ▸Effective governance requires strong mechanisms to engage with multiple actors across varying spatial and political scales.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1007/s12053-026-10422-9

Journal

Energy Efficiency

Year

2026