You Can’t Have Free Riders: Can Net Zero Actually Make a Difference?

The phrase “you can’t have free riders” has been echoing through climate policy debates for years, but hearing it again from London-based analyst John Lang in the context of New Zealand’s energy sovereignty discussion made me pause—not because it’s new, but because it feels increasingly urgent as we watch global tensions reshape how even distant communities think about their own resilience. When Lang talks about the psychology behind resistance to inconvenient truths, or how “whataboutisms” deflect accountability, it’s hard not to see parallels in how cities like Denver grapple with their own climate commitments amid shifting federal priorities and regional energy dynamics. The core idea—that collective action fails when some opt out—translates directly to local efforts here, whether it’s neighborhood solar co-ops or municipal building retrofits, where participation gaps can undermine entire initiatives.

Lang’s work with the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and his founding of the world’s first Net Zero Tracker in 2019 gives weight to his skepticism about greenwash versus credible action. That tracker doesn’t just look at nations; it scrutinizes 1,800 cities and regions and over 2,000 major companies—a scope that includes entities right here in Colorado. When he launched Climate Trunk this week, aiming to use interactive tree rings to drill into climate issues with science at the core, it reminded me of how Denver’s own Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience has been trying to make abstract goals tangible through public dashboards showing progress toward the city’s 2040 net-zero target. The challenge Lang highlights—separating real strategy from performative pledges—is one Denver faces daily as it evaluates everything from Xcel Energy’s clean energy plans to the feasibility of district heating systems in neighborhoods like RiNo.

What struck me most from the NZ Herald piece wasn’t just the analysis but the underlying frustration Lang describes: the exhaustion of having to constantly justify why collective action matters when others refuse to participate. That sentiment resonates in public meetings across Denver, where advocates for stricter building energy codes often confront arguments that Colorado’s efforts are meaningless without matching action from larger emitters—a classic “whataboutism” Lang would recognize. Yet the data tells a different story. Denver’s 2023 Climate Action Plan report showed municipal emissions down 32% since 2005, driven largely by building efficiency upgrades and renewable electricity purchases. Those gains didn’t happen in isolation; they relied on near-universal participation from city departments and growing buy-in from private property owners subject to the Energize Denver ordinance—a local policy that, despite early resistance, now covers over 6,000 buildings.

The connection between global net-zero debates and Denver’s street-level reality becomes clearer when considering energy sovereignty—a concept Lang tied to the Iran war’s focus on supply chain security. Here, that translates to conversations about microgrid resilience in neighborhoods like Elyria-Swansea, where community groups have pushed for solar-plus-storage installations to reduce dependence on centralized grids vulnerable to wildfires or cyber threats. It’s also evident in the Denver Housing Authority’s ongoing retrofit of public housing units with heat pumps and efficiency measures, not just to cut emissions but to lock in long-term affordability by insulating residents from volatile gas prices—a direct application of energy sovereignty principles at the hyper-local level.

Given my background in news analysis and policy translation, if this trend of scrutinizing net-zero credibility impacts you in Denver, here are the three types of local professionals you need to understand:

• Climate Policy Analysts at Municipal Agencies: Look for professionals embedded in Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience or similar departments who don’t just track metrics but can explain how local ordinances like Energize Denver or the Green Buildings Ordinance interact with state laws (like HB21-1286 on building performance standards) and federal incentives. They should demonstrate fluency in translating complex tracking frameworks—similar to what Lang’s Net Zero Tracker does at global scale—into actionable insights for neighborhood associations or business improvement districts.
• Community Energy Coordinators: Seek out organizers working with groups like Denver Community Solar or the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program who specialize in bridging technical solutions with social equity. The best ones have proven experience designing participation models that minimize free-rider problems—whether through opt-out structures for community solar, tiered pricing for energy audits, or workforce development programs that ensure local hiring in retrofit projects—making collective action both inclusive and effective.
• Building Performance Engineers Familiar with Denver’s Stock: Prioritize consultants or firms with documented experience auditing and retrofitting Denver’s specific building types—from 1950s brick bungalows in Platt Park to mid-century offices along Speer Boulevard—who understand how to balance efficiency gains with preservation concerns and can navigate the city’s unique incentive stack, including Xcel Energy’s rebates, the Denver Green Code, and potential future compliance pathways under Energize Denver 2.0.

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