Comment by Chris Brierley, Senior Engagement and Impact Advisor at Energy Systems Catapult.

Last week’s UK100 conference in Birmingham gathered local leaders, campaigners, and climate experts under one roof to tackle an increasingly urgent question: how do we move beyond Net Zero targets and into sustained delivery?

The headline message was clear: we need to shift the conversation. Net Zero has a marketing problem. While targets are vital, often unlocking funding and political attention, they aren’t the end goal. What matters now is action, grounded in the everyday lives and priorities of communities across the UK.

Changing the story: From cost to opportunity

A recurrent theme throughout the day was the need to reframe the narrative. Too often, public discourse focuses on the cost of climate action, rather than its benefits such as warmer homes, lower bills, cleaner air, and stronger local economies. As Clare Wharmby memorably put it, “If Nike were selling Net Zero, they wouldn’t say ‘buy our expensive trainers so we can hit our sales targets.’” Instead, they’d sell the value, the aspiration, the impact.

It’s a communications challenge, yes, but more than that, it’s about embedding Net Zero into the story of places. Councillor Chloe Turner of Stroud, one of the first districts to publish a climate plan, spoke passionately about the role of culture, art, and storytelling in shaping public understanding and support. It’s not just spreadsheets, it’s poetry, too.

Listen first, then lead

Another key takeaway was the importance of listening. Jamie Clarke from Engaging Climate gave a powerful reminder: the climate movement will only succeed if it understands and reflects the lived experience of people. Jamie spoke of the stressed mum on the school run trying to get kids out the door, get to work, keep the plates spinning, who doesn’t have the headspace for abstract targets. We need to meet people where they are, not where we wish they were.

Building trust means starting with shared values, recognising concerns, and ensuring people feel part of the journey. As one speaker put it: “communications needs to be central to planning, not an afterthought.” A point that earned plenty of nods in the room.

From data to decisions

Several sessions dug into the practicalities of delivery. Patrick Allcorn made the case for better local data – enabling councils to identify the best homes for retrofit, unlocking better investment decisions. Case studies from Scotland and Westminster highlighted how data-driven modelling can also reveal wider social and health benefits.

But there’s still work to do. As Clare Wharmby noted, it’s not just about more data, it’s about the right data – focused on the questions that need answering.

Local action, national backing

Councillor Sarah Young from Hackney struck a chord: “We’re doing a lot and will keep going, but for the big stuff like large-scale retrofit, we need government to play its part.” The role of public-private partnerships, skills investment, and smarter regulation came through as essential ingredients to scale up and accelerate.

The conference closed with a call for collaboration, councils working together with a consistent voice, turning shared learning into shared action. Net Zero isn’t just a number. It’s a movement and one that needs everyone on board.