Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS)

Lead Research Organisation: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Geography

Abstract

It is critically important to provide social science insights to support the transition to a sustainable and biodiverse environment and a net zero society. We are in a biodiversity crisis, with profound implications for humanity and nonhuman nature. Severe cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed to restrict global temperature increases. This multi-faceted crisis, alongside disruptions such as COVID-19, demands the skills, insights and leadership of social scientists in relation to research, policy-making and action. However, environmental solutions are often framed as technological or ecological fixes, underestimating social dimensions of policy and practice interventions. Social science research is rarely agile and responsive to societal needs in very short time frames, and there is an urgent need for stronger community organisation and coordination. We need to increase the accessibility, agility and use of social science, as well as to further develop the skills necessary to contribute to interdisciplinary research, enabling the co-production of knowledge and action.

Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS) is a team of world-leading social science and interdisciplinary experts led by the Universities of Exeter and Surrey with the Universities of Bath, Leeds & Sussex and the Natural Environment Social Research Network (Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot, Natural England, Environment Agency and Forest Research). The ACCESS core team is complemented by a wider network of expertise drawn from academic and stakeholder partners across UK devolved nations and internationally: Strathclyde University, Queens University Belfast, Cardiff University, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Manchester University, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, University of Sydney and stakeholder partners including the Welsh Government, Scottish and Southern Energy, the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management, National Trust, Academy for Social Sciences, Community Energy England, Winchester Science Centre and Devon and Surrey County Councils.

ACCESS is structured around three cross-cutting themes (Co-production; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Sustainability and Net Zero) that underpin four work packages:

1. Map, assess and learn from the past experiences of social scientists in climate and environment training, research, policy and practice; to develop and test new resources to impact interdisciplinary education, research and knowledge mobilisation, catalysing change in policy culture, institutions, businesses and civil society (Work Package (WP)1);
2. Empower environmental social scientists at different learning and career stages by providing training and capacity building, including masterclasses, placements, mentoring and collegiate networks to enhance leadership and knowledge exchange skills (WP2);
3. Innovate by creating new ideas and testing new approaches; scope future transformative social science and enable rapid and timely deployment of social science capacity in response to key events or emergencies (WP3);
4. Champion and coordinate environmental social scientists across the UK and internationally by providing an accessible knowledge/data hub and innovative public engagement tracker; building new networks, enabling coordination and collaboration; supporting policy and decision-making (WP4).
ACCESS' depth and breadth of expertise coupled with the range of innovative resources produced will deliver transformational leadership and coordination of environmental social science. ACCESS will become the key trusted source of environmental social science for UK governmental and non-governmental agencies, business and civil society. In so doing, ACCESS will ensure that social science insights become more visible, valued and used by non-social science academics and stakeholders, supporting the transition to a sustainable and biodiverse environment and a low carbon society.

People

ORCID iD

Patrick Devine-Wright (Principal Investigator)
Travis Coan (Co-Investigator)
Alice Moseley (Co-Investigator)
Steve Hinchliffe (Co-Investigator)
Kate Burningham (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9408-6180
Tim Jackson (Co-Investigator)
Fiona Charnley (Co-Investigator)
Jean-Francois Mercure (Co-Investigator)
Jillian Anable (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4259-1641
Lorraine Whitmarsh (Co-Investigator)
Melissa Marselle (Co-Investigator)
Hywel Williams (Co-Investigator)
Amelia Hadfield (Co-Investigator)
Angela Druckman (Co-Investigator)
Neil Adger (Co-Investigator)
Steffen Boehm (Co-Investigator)
Rebecca Lovell (Co-Investigator)
Ian Walker (Co-Investigator)
Stewart Barr (Co-Investigator)
Clare Saunders (Co-Investigator)
Matt Lobley (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4774-8422
Sarah Hartley (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4849-5685
Ruth Garside (Co-Investigator)
Christopher Jones (Co-Investigator)
Ian Peter Christie (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0475-2405
Saffron O'Neill (Co-Investigator)
Birgitta Gatersleben (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5841-0577
Benjamin Sovacool (Co-Investigator)
Ian Bateman (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2791-6137
Karen Bickerstaff (Co-Investigator)
Nigel Gilbert (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5937-2410
Liz O'Brien (Co-Investigator) orcid http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7976-9987
Catherine Caine (Co-Investigator)
Nick Kirsop-Taylor (Co-Investigator)
Olivia FitzGerald (Researcher)
Sarah Golding (Researcher)
 
Description Building Capacity, Agility and Capability in responding to calls for evidence in climate change, sustainability, biodiversity, and net zero. Many thanks for your application for funding for the above project
Amount £9,924 (GBP)
Organisation United Kingdom Research and Innovation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2022 
End 06/2023
 
Title ACCESS GUIDING PRINCIPLES 
Description GUIDE TO INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AS WELL AS KNOWLEDGE CO-PRODUCTION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Not yet applicable - only just released 
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/guiding-principles/
 
Title Flex Fund R1 evaluation report 
Description The purpose of this report is to evaluate the ACCESS Flex Fund Round 1. Data are analysed concerning the characteristics of submitted applications, the personal characteristics of the applicants, and their perceptions of the submission process. This data was collected using the application form and post-submission surveys. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This report has bene shared by ESRC across other ESRC and UKRI funded centres and projects that are preparing for the launch of their own Flex Funds. 
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ACCESS-Flex-Fund-Round-1-Evaluation-Report-_Fina...
 
Description ACCESS Practice and Policy Working Group 
Organisation Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The ACCESS team has facilitated policy engagement and co-production by setting up this Policy and Practice Working Group (PPWG). The group consists of representatives from public sector organisations spanning government departments (e.g., Defra, BEIS), Cabinet Office, GO-Science, Nature Agencies across the UK and devolved administrations. The PPWG face to face meetings are hosted by Defra in London. Each meeting has provided opportunity to build networks across government, to discuss the ACCESS work programme (e.g., Rapid Response) and elicit policy priorities across 2023 and specific topic suggestions for Task Forces.
Collaborator Contribution ACCES partners from the Nature Agencies, the Environment Agency and Forest Research have been key to developing mechanisms to identifying some shared significant challenges in the next one to four years, and identify where ACCESS could provide valuable input.
Impact In progress
Start Year 2022
 
Description "ECR Journeys: Working across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries." - Solo-authored blog about non-traditional career journeys in interdisciplinary working 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact SG authored blog sharing her experience of being an ECR in an interdisciplinary setting - invited author for this ECR-focused series of blogs for a conservation audience
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://appliedecologistsblog.com/2023/09/06/ecr-journeys-working-across-disciplinary-and-sectoral-b...
 
Description "ECR journeys: The ACCESS fellows - navigating new terrain" - Blog for the Applied Psychologist 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Blog written by ACCESS knowledge exchange fellows about the value of interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange roles - written based on shared personal and professional experiences
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://appliedecologistsblog.com/2023/08/25/ecr-journey-the-access-fellows-navigating-new-terrain/
 
Description 'Enhancing the visibility and impact of the social sciences in solving environmental problems: lessons from the ACCESS project' - a talk by Prof Patrick Devine Wright at Princeton Bradford seminar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Enhancing the visibility and impact of the social sciences in solving environmental problems: lessons from the ACCESS project. PDW gave a talk at the public lecture event (remote) Princeton Bradford seminar. Organised by Princeton's Centre for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment (C-PREE). I
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cpree.princeton.edu/events/2023/enhancing-visibility-and-impact-social-sciences-solving-envi...
 
Description 'Sustainability and the migrant experience in the covid-19 crisis.' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 'Sustainability and the migrant experience in the covid-19 crisis.' MISTY partners, Neil Adger, Emily Boyd, Ed Carr, Sonja Fransen, Dominique Jolivet, Anita Fabos, Maria Franco Gavonel and Caroline Zickgraf co-authored this commentary piece in response to a call for contributions from the Transformations to Sustainability (T2S) programme on the COVID-19 crisis.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://t2sresearch.org/output/sustainability-and-the-migrant-experience-in-the-covid-19-crisis/
 
Description 2nd Conference SocioDigital Lab for Public Policy, Portugal (online) - Prof Patrick Devine-Wright keynote speech 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Prof Devine-Wright was invited by Susana Batel, Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, to be a keynote speaker at the conference in Portugal (online event). The keynote speech was titled 'Inclusive Territories for a Green and Digital Transition
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://bru.iscte-iul.pt/2nd-conference-sociodigital-lab-for-public-policy/
 
Description ACCESS Annual Assembly 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The 2023 event promoted connectivity between participants across boundaries of career stage, discipline and sector, to showcase state of the art environmental social science research insights, and to improve understanding of the ACCESS work programme, while minimising environmental impacts, and acting on our Guiding Principles.
The event ran over two days, beginning and ending at lunchtime with one evening dinner, to enable same-day access via public transport; emphasis upon face-to-face attendance for relationship building, yet enabling remote participation for inclusion; a mix of different types of sessions, including breakout groups to encourage discussions amongst participants; sufficient breaks between sessions to encourage networking; sustainable food provision (meat-free, locally sourced where possible); and provision of an Inclusion Fund to enable wider participation.

Speakers included Mari Martiskainen from the University of Sussex, Beth Brocket from Forest Research, & Carol Morris from University of Nottingham, Rosie Halls from the national Trust, Clive Mitchell from nature Scott and Nigel Guilbert from the University of Surrey.

The 2023 Assembly was attended by 82 individuals, with approximately 70 people attending each day and approximately 75% attending in person. The event was mainly attended by female participants, of White ethnicity, who were mostly based in Southern England. There was a good mix of age, career stage and discipline, and a predominance of people from universities and the public sector, with comparatively few individuals from third and private sectors. More than half of participants had caring responsibilities, and about 15% indicated some form of disability or impairment.

There was a quantifiable increase in participants' understanding, trust and reciprocity from before to after the event, as well as in bonding and bridging social capital before and afterwards. Overall, the average number of connections held between participants nearly doubled during the 2023 Assembly. This demonstrates the positive impact of the event to enable network building amongst disparate participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/134452?show=full
 
Description ACCESS Summer School '24 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact ACCESS provided training and networking for circa 20 post-graduate students (ECRs) whom consider themselves to be working in the realm of environmental social science. Over two days the ECRs took part in training and reflective activities with academics and non-academic practitioners at Dartington Hall, Devon. The participants were both international and national.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/training-and-events/#Summer-Schools
 
Description ACCESS Webinar - Why Do We Need Environmental Social Sciences? Prof Gatersleben 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Prof Birgitta Gatersleben delivered the first webinar for the ACCESS project - this is the first in a series of webinars to provide wider reach for the ACCESS project by delivering free webinars on environmental social science focused topics. The recording will be hosted on the website.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/webinars/
 
Description ACCESS Winter School January 23 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact PhD and Early Career Post Graduate Researchers attended a 3 day residential school aimed for Environmental Social Scientists to discuss communicating their research to specific audiences. After successfully applying to attend the PhD and ECR's also created valuable links with each other (all from differing institutions) and Speakers, whom stayed the duration of the event. These links have continued on social media and they are also now part of the wider ACCESS network.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/access-winter-school-2023/
 
Description ACCESS and Innovate UK meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Meeting to focus on connections between our first Task Force on Net Zero and Social Transformation and the Net Zero Living programme
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Annual Assembly 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact 78 people attended the event, which brought together academic social scientists and public sector representatives from across the UK. Discussions were held around 4 themes: interdisciplinary research; data exchange; knowledge co-production between academics and policy makers on environmental problems; horizon scanning. Evaluation of the event focused on two themes: equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as social capital. In terms of EDI, the event was successful in bridging diverse sectors and roles, but comparatively lacking in early career researchers. In terms of social capital, the event was successful in building trust, reciprocity and shared understanding amongst those attending. Notably, the impact of the event on social capital was lower for those attending remotely.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description British Academy Exeter Workshop - Where We Live Next - How can policy help to SHAPE sustainable places? 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact British Academy Exeter Workshop - Where We Live Next - How can policy help to SHAPE sustainable places?

This was a British Academy event in Exeter city centre looking at what a future sustainable Exeter might look like. The workshop included academics, an ACCESS Leadership college fellow as well as local NGOs, government officers and businesses. The aim of the afternoon was to think about why place matters for environmental policy; and what policy could do to catalyse a more sustainable future for places.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/where-we-live-next-how-can-policy-help-to-shape-social-sciences-humanities-...
 
Description British Environmental Psychological Society Conference, Surrey University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact British Environmental Psychological Society Conference, Surrey University - Sarah Golding, Kate Burningham and Birgitta Gatersleben facilitated roundtable discussion (opportunities and challenges for embedding EDI into environmental social science)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description British Environmental Psychological Society Conference, Surrey University - Key note speech "Interdisciplinary reflections on the concept of place in environmental psychology" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact British Environmental Psychological Society Conference, Surrey University - Prf Birgitta Gatersleben gave the keynote speech on Keynote speech on "Interdisciplinary reflections on the concept of place in environmental psychology"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description British Psychological Society Cross-Network Climate Emergency and Psychology Engagement Event: Establishing the priorities for Psychology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact In association with the Afro-Asian Critical Psychology Network have put together this engagement and agenda-setting event. The event included short 'primer' talks on the mental health impact of climate change; global perspectives and inequalities; coping with climate change disasters and emergencies; barriers and facilitators to climate engagement; political engagement and power dynamics; and collective action and social change.
Following discussion and engagement sessions related to each topic, involving researchers and experts inside and outside of psychology, the ultimate aim of the event was to produce a series of co-produced priorities for psychology in helping tackle the climate emergency. The final identified priorities will be collated and transformed into an event report for dissemination.
Online workshop session. Prof Patrick Devine-Wright was a speaker and Dr Sarah Golding shared a link to the ACCESS Guiding Principles and the ACCESS website, and encouraged people to sign up for the newsletter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.bps.org.uk/event/bps-cross-network-climate-emergency-and-psychology-engagement-event-est...
 
Description Communicate Conference 2023: Together for Nature - talk given by Prof Patrick Devine Wright - Taking the idea of 'place' seriously in tackling environmental problems 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Communicate is the UK's leading annual conference for environmental communicators running since 2004, bringing together a diverse group of delegates each year to develop their skills, share best practice and debate latest issues in science communication, nature conservation and engaging people with the natural world.

Invite by Savita Willmott, Chief Executive, The Natural History Consortium, in partnership with ESRC, to give a talk on 'Taking the idea of 'place' seriously in tackling environmental problems
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://sustainabilityevents.co.uk/calendar/communicate-conference-2023-together-for-nature/#:~:text...
 
Description Communicating Climate Change event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Communicating Climate Change - Event being run with the BBC on climate comms and the media. Co-hosted by ACCESS, CAST (via LW), JOMEC & Media Cyrmru. Hybrid event being held in Cardiff.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Dr Sarah Golding Webinar for The Open University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Golding was invited speaker at Jan-2024 webinar "Why is psychology crucial in tackling the climate and ecological crisis?", hosted by The Open University's Culture and Social Psychology Research Group. Approximately 20 online delegates. Other speakers = Stacey Heath (Open University) & Lois Player (University of Bath)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description ICEP Conference 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact ACCESS hosted an interactive panel session involving lively debate between panellists and audience members exploring where and how environmental social science has (and has not) had impact on policy and practice. Session chaired by ACCESS co-director, Birgitta Gatersleben - panellists included ACCESS Knowledge Exchange Fellow (Golding), ACCESS CO-Is (Jones, Marselle, Whitmarsh) and others in the wider ACCESS network (Steg).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://icep2023.au.dk/
 
Description Innovation and Research Caucus (IRC)/ACCESS Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Innovation and Research Caucus (IRC)/ACCESS Workshop - IRC met the ACCESS Leadership Team to discuss running funding calls, engaging with policy makers, outputs for different audiences, co-creation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Innovative Methods & Data Workshop, Manchester University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Innovative Methods & Data Workshop, Manchester University. Organised in collaboration by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Economic Social Research Council (ESRC), Policy@Manchester and The University of Surrey
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Invited talks at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands given by Patrick Devine-Wright 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Invited by the Urban and Regional Studies Institute and the Environmental Psychology Research Group, University of Groningen, Netherlands. Prof Patrick Devine Wright gave 2 presentations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Meeting with Academy of Social Sciences to discuss ACCESS Guiding Principles 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 1st March 2023 - A meeting with Academy of Social Sciences to discuss the ACCESS Guiding Principles (ACSS = Rita Gardner & Sarah Jones / ACCESS = Stewart Barr, Steve Guilbert, Sarah Golding) to help guide and shape the documents production.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://accessnetwork.uk/guiding-principles/
 
Description Meeting with UKERC to gather insights and best practice about EDI 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On 28th June 2022 - ACCESS members met with UKERC to gather insights and best practice about EDI (UKERC = Amber Sawyer / ACCESS = Kate Burningham & Sarah Golding)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description NERC Integrating Finance and Biodiversity Programme and NERC/ESRC Economics of Biodiversity Programme Presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Circa 100 delegates attended a presentation by KE Fellows (George Warren and Sarah Golding) on best practices for interdisciplinary working, knowledge exchange and impact. Both were invited guest speakers. Ran a satellite workshop to develop participant capacity on knowledge exchange. Panel discussion which Sarah participated in.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description NESRN (Natural Environment Social Research Network) presentation regarding Systems Map of ESS Policy Actor Landscape 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Workshop to foster co-production of a system map of the policy relevant environmental social science organisations in the UK. Facillitated by Dr George Warren (KE Fellow) WP1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Panel guest at the 2023 Festival of Social Science "Green Means Go? Tackling Surrey's Climate Emergency Through Deliberative Democracy" University of Surrey 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Prof Birgitta Gatersleben invited to be a panel guest at an event featuring a showcase panel and public Q&A with cross-disciplinary experts in politics, climate and sustainability by the Centre for Britain and Europe (CBE)

The Green Means Go? event is a combination of panel and participation, focusing on Surrey's Climate Change Challenge. It brought together leading University researchers, including those working within the extensive ESRC ACCESS project on sustainability, and the newly-formed Surrey Climate Commission, alongside local government representatives. The goal was to look at the role of deliberative democracy which brings together different stakeholders in pursuit of the same objective - tackling Surrey's climate challenges.

The event is an ideal opportunity to (a) showcase current work on climate governance undertaken between the Institute for Sustainability (IfS) and the Surrey Climate Commission and; (b) operate as a public forum to support the work of the ESRC ACCESS project, in bringing civil society representatives together with local government stakeholders and the university; (c) illustrate public policy work on sustainability being undertaken by key groups in the university (e.g. the Department of Politics, Psychology, Law); and (d) get direct feedback from civil society groups based in Surrey and Guildford, including representatives from the Surrey Climate Commission.


Who's leading the event?
Amelia Hadfield, Head of Department of Politics, Founder and Former Co-Director of the Centre for Britain and Europe at the University of Surrey

Surrey Climate Commission

Surrey County Council

University of Surrey: ESRC ACCESS, Centre for Environment and Sustainability, and the Institute for Sustainability
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://festivalofsocialscience.com/events/green-means-go/
 
Description Presentation: 'Communicating about climate change and the environment through images and video' - Prof Saffron O'Neil at NESRN meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Presentation: 'Communicating about climate change and the environment through images and video'. Talk given by Saffron O'Neil at the NESRN meeting
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Public Engagement for Energy Infrastructure Task Expert Workshop (online) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact On the 5 December 2023, the task hosted a workshop with about 20 experts from industry, NGOs, policy and academia. The workshop allowed Task members to harvest feedback from practitioners and researchers on how to improve the guidelines. The workshop showed that there is a great interest in a guide that can serve not only project developers but also provide guidance to policy-makers and citizens.

Prof Devine-Wright and Dr Bickerstaff were invited by Meghan Keenan, Net Zero Green Choices Research, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero to join an expert workshop to discuss a first version of their best practice guidelines and collect feedback.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://userstcp.org/public-engagement-for-energy-infrastructure/peei-feedback-guidelines/#:~:text=T...
 
Description Webinar: Prof Loraine Whitmarsh and Pete Dyson: Putting Behaviour Change Evidence Into Practice webinar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Webinar: Prof Loraine Whitmarsh (ACCESS CI) and Pete Dyson: Putting Behaviour Change Evidence Into Practice webinar - held in collaboration with University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcEZrwbshPk
 
Description Webinar: The Role of Behavioural Change and Communication in Tackling Climate Change - Royal Meteorological Society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Royal Meteorological Society Webinar: The Role of Behavioural Change and Communication in Tackling Climate Change. Invitation for ACCESS Task Lead Prof Saffron O'Neil and CI Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh to give a talk.

The Role of Behavioural Change and Communication in Tackling Climate Change. This was a free 2-hour webinar focused on behavioural change and communication and the crucial role they play in tackling climate change.

Lorraine Whitmarsh, Professor of Environmental Psychology and Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, explained the importance of behavioural change in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, explore the barriers that exist for changing behaviours and how we can overcome these. Saffron O'Neill, Professor in Climate & Society at the University of Exeter, then covered the complexities and challenges of communicating climate change effectively, some barriers that hinder understanding/action, how we can effectively communicate climate change and the role of digital communication.

Helen Roberts, Socio-Meteorologist at the Met Office chaired the event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.rmets.org/event/role-behavioural-change-and-communication-tackling-climate-change
 
Description Working Meeting to Discuss EDI: 7th July 2022 -with colleagues from CREDS 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 7th July 2022 - Met with colleagues from CREDS (CREDS = Sarah Higginson & Clare Downing / ACCESS = Kate Burningham & Sarah Golding)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description X-Government NZ Societal Change analysis meeting - DESNEZ 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact X-Government NZ Societal Change analysis meeting - Invite from Emma Claydon Head of Net Zero Societal Change Research at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Meeting to share work on in the Net Zero social/behavioural research space and identify any opportunities to collaborate.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023