Abstract
Insufficient attention is currently being paid to the role and mechanisms for multi-stakeholder collaboration for Net Zero. Despite prevailing policy calls for collaborations between multiple stakeholders to tackle the complex challenges of reshaping local economies towards decarbonisation, it is currently vague in offering effective approaches for multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnership. Based on a British Academy funded project, this study examines the disparate, and often conflicting, stakeholder interests and provide few insights into techniques for effective collaboration across multiple stakeholder networks. Extensive data collection has been undertaken including 18 semi-structured interviews supplemented by 6 qualitative case studies of key net zero stakeholders to inform development of a Net Zero stakeholder mapping. Four stakeholder groupings are identified – enablers, unfocused supporters, untapped facilitators and dead weight. Additionally, two action-based heuristic frameworks of firms engaging with Net Zero through multi-stakeholder collaboration, one at a firm level and another one at an inter-firm level are proposed. Additional data collection (including second round interviews and a large-scale survey) is underway to validate the stakeholder mapping tool and the action-based frameworks. The study findings lead to important guidance to support firms and policy makers to develop better strategies and policies to improve firms’ engagement with the Net Zero policy agenda.