Public perceptions of climate change and energy futures in Britain
Lead Research Organisation:
Cardiff University
Department Name: Sch of Psychology
Abstract
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Organisations
Publications
Corner A
(2011)
Nuclear power, climate change and energy security: Exploring British public attitudes
in Energy Policy
Spence A
(2011)
Perceptions of climate change and willingness to save energy related to flood experience
in Nature Climate Change
Poortinga W
(2011)
Uncertain climate: An investigation into public scepticism about anthropogenic climate change
in Global Environmental Change
Pidgeon N
(2012)
Public understanding of, and attitudes to, climate change: UK and international perspectives and policy
in Climate Policy
Pidgeon N
(2012)
Exploring early public responses to geoengineering.
in Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Shuckburgh E.
(2012)
Climate Science, The Public and the News Media
Poortinga W
(2013)
Public perceptions of climate change and energy futures before and after the Fukushima accident: A comparison between Britain and Japan
in Energy Policy
Capstick S
(2014)
International trends in public perceptions of climate change over the past quarter century
in WIREs Climate Change
Corner A
(2014)
Public engagement with climate change: the role of human values
in WIREs Climate Change
| Description | This project has produced a multi-layered set of findings with complex implications for both climate and energy policy, and the initial descriptive findings are summarised in a report produced in July 2010 (Output: Spence et al, 2010). On climate change we observed a small drop in belief and concern since 2005. The reasons for this are complex, reflecting both long term trends, but also recent media controversy surrounding climate science. While, the majority of the sample (78%) still believed that climate change was happening, statistical analysis shows a relationship between values, demographic characteristics and climate scepticism (Output: Poortinga, et al, Global Environmental Change, 2011). The survey demonstrated for the very first time in a nationally representative sample how experiences of climate-related impacts (specifically flooding) related to higher concern about climate change and greater willingness to take action (Output: Spence et al, Nature Climate Change, 2011). Further statistical analyses also demonstrated that climate change was perceived as psychologically distant on a number of dimensions, e.g. geographical distance of impacts, which were related to concern and willingness to act on climate change (Spence et al., Risk Analysis, submitted). We also found a clear preference for renewable energy over fossil fuels or nuclear power. Although beliefs about nuclear power had, reflecting recent policy discourses, become somewhat more positive since 2005, and increase when explicitly framed alongside climate change and/or energy security, when analysed in greater detail such support remains ambivalent - which we term a 'reluctant acceptance' (Corner et al, Energy Policy, submitted). On energy security - measured systematically here for the very first time - we found surprisingly high levels of concern. More detailed statistical analysis reveals, however, that concern about energy security is negatively associated with the willingness to pay for renewable energy and support for new wind energy developments, suggesting that a shift in focus towards energy security issues may actually undermine public support for some de-carbonising energy policies (Poortinga, Spence & Pidgeon, Journal of Environmental Psychology, submitted). Across the England, Scotland and Wales samples, significant cross-country differences were found on specific energy beliefs, and energy security, but few on attitudes to climate change. As expected, we found very low levels of knowledge about geoengineering, although when described to respondents carbon capture was preferred to solar radiation management (Pidgeon et al, Proc Royal Soc A, submitted). The survey has generated important trend data, theoretical insights, and new baseline measures of geoengineering, energy security, and climate scepticism. A number of our items have subsequently appeared on surveys conducted by others (see Impact). Regarding new work, the findings on energy preferences are being followed up by Pidgeon and Spence in a major new NERC research project for the UK Energy Research Centre on Public Acceptability of Whole Energy System Change. We also expect to take forward future work tracking attitudes to climate change over time, and work on nuclear attitudes in order to study the impacts on perceptions of the Fukushima accident in Japan. |
| Exploitation Route | Influence UK climate policy |
| Sectors | Energy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | There are many surveys of public(s) views of climate change and energy issues, but such studies are often limited in scope and rigour (e.g. sponsored by the media or stakeholders) or kept confidential by sponsors. The main societal value of our study is to place in the public domain independent evidence of national attitudes, thereby contributing to increased effectiveness of public debate and evidence-base policy. Two main lines of societal impact arise: IMPACT (A): A contribution to the UK and international debate on the changes in, and nature of, British public views on climate change since 2005. We were able to provide solid evidence on levels of public concern and scepticism following e-mails from the University of East Anglia in the winter of 2009-2010. Our conclusion here was that concern about climate change had not dropped as far as some had feared at the time. IMPACT (B): A contribution to the debate on energy futures and the public acceptability of new-build nuclear power in the UK. National (and EU) government policy since 2006 has increasingly emphasised nuclear as an important part of the future energy mix, with plans for new-build now advanced at existing nuclear sites. The survey provided independent evidence of the change in British views between 2005 and 2010 in relation to this key energy policy question. In addition, and in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the work represented the only comprehensive independent national dataset against which subsequent changes in attitudes to nuclear power could be evaluated. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
| Sector | Energy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Centre for Climate Change Transformations (C3T) |
| Amount | £4,903,413 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/S012257/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2019 |
| End | 04/2024 |
| Description | Blowing hot and cold on climate change |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | An overview of data from the national survey conducted in 2010 compared with trend data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Blowing hot and cold on climate change : British public perceptions 2010 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | An overview of data from the national survey conducted in 2010 compared with previous findings and trend data. Key findings were that concern about climate change has decreased and scepticism and uncertainty over whether the climate is changing has increased. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Flooding experiences may help turn the tide on climate change |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | A presentation of data relating flooding experiences to perceptions and behaviour relating to climate change. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Perceptions of climate change and energy futures in England, Scotland and Wales : a cross-national British survey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Description of key findings from the 2010 survey compared with trend data. Specific analysis of Scottish findings presented and compared with data from England and Wales. Section not completed |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |