A Net-Zero Vulnerability Index for Great Britain

National net-zero policies have varied regional impacts on patterns of investment and employment. In this paper, we introduce a Net-Zero Vulnerability Index for regions and Local Authority Districts (LADs) in England, Scotland and Wales. To do so, we draw on theories and methods from complexity economics and develop a measurement approach using measure of economic complexity, relatedness, reliance and population. Our results highlight LADs deemed most vulnerable to the negative economic consequences of climate policies (broadly labelled as net-zero in UK policy). These are disproportionately concentrated in regions that were most disadvantaged by previous and ongoing rounds of deindustrialisation. The anticipated geography of net-zero policy impacts highlights the need for proactive policies that span local authority boundaries, with devolved Mayoral Combined Authorities presented as an opportunity to do so.