It is widely recognised that urgent action at scale is required to address the growing climate emergency and a momentum is building behind the policies and strategies being developed to take the UK towards its statutory target of becoming a net zero country by the year 2050.

This includes the Government’s recently published ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’ and its aim to cut CO2 emissions by 68% by 2030 from the 1990 baseline.

Rural communities, who are 17% of England’s population, will need to play their full part if those ambitions for 2030 and 2050 are to be met. A crucial question, therefore, is what in practical terms might it mean for our rural households, businesses and communities?

This report, written by Rural England associates Nigel Wilcock and Tim Rose (of Mickledore Consultants), seeks to fill an evidence gap.  It explores the rural dimension to the net zero agendas for energy production, transport and home heating.  In doing so it identifies a number of rural-specific challenges and opportunities.