WP1: Facilitating co-designed scenarios and net zero pathways

Research Question: How can we deliver sustainable, acceptable and accessible land use for net zero in UK grassland areas?

This research aims to achieve sustainable, acceptable, and accessible land use for net zero in UK grassland areas by 2030. The project begins with developing workshop strategies that will ensure inclusive participation and co-design during scenario mapping activities. A diverse network of stakeholders including farmers, NGOs, policymakers, agri-industry and Land Use Clusters for Agroecology (LUCA) representatives will be established to ensure multi-sectoral representation throughout land-use scenarios and transition mapping processes. These Stakeholder Networks will identify barriers and catalysts for transition implementation and support ongoing activities within the UK Government Carbon Budget Delivery Plan and other related initiatives.

Stakeholder Networks will engage in a series of workshops across the UK, with online iterations, to co-design and extend existing land-use scenarios. These scenarios will be mapped against indicators to evaluate the impact of innovations on net zero pathways. The project will use backcasting from 2050 and 2030 to explore a range of pathways and synergize with other scenario activities managed within the LUNZ Hub.

In the second and third years, interviews and sector-specific workshops will be conducted to assess net zero pathways with stakeholders and LUCAs. These assessments will identify barriers and catalysts to implementation, using pathways drawn from within and beyond the project. Discussions will be framed by key indicators for specific systems and geographies.

The findings from these evaluations will inform policy recommendations to overcome barriers and promote sustainable land use practices.