The University of East Anglia and Groundwork East KTP 24_25 R3

A new partnership between the University of East Anglia and the charity Groundwork East will build a practical toolkit—called the "GreenPrint"—to help local organisations run community engagement that actually works, rather than just ticking a box. This matters because the UK’s shift to net zero risks widening existing inequalities. People already facing hardship or poor housing often bear the costs of green policies—higher energy bills, disrupted transport, or lost jobs—without having a real say in how those policies are designed. Most current engagement methods are tokenistic or fail to reach the people most affected. The GreenPrint aims to fill that gap by providing a tested, evidence-based framework that puts residents’ needs first. If the project succeeds, it could change how local authorities, housing associations, and community groups plan everything from heat-pump installations to new cycle lanes. Instead of imposing top-down solutions, they would use the GreenPrint to co-design projects that genuinely reduce hardship while cutting emissions. The research will also produce measurable data on the social, environmental, and economic impacts of this approach, giving funders and policymakers a clear case for scaling it up. The result would be a quieter but more just transition—one where the people who live with the changes help shape them.