Public views and the climate crisis: values, practices and policy change

This project is now completed. Please see two current publications based on the research:

In summer 2024, Sarah and Katy published an article 'Acting on climate change concerns: lay perceptions of possibility, complexity and constraint' in Environmental Sociology.

Their paper: 'Not talking about climate change: everyday interactions, relational work and climate silences' will be published in Sociology. The author accepted manuscript is here.

The climate and ecological crisis is a defining issue of our time. An array of research points to a breadth and depth of public concern, as well as identifying substantive and explanatory puzzles relating to the scope for effecting meaningful change. However there is relatively little sociological evidence on public values and engagement as relevant to low carbon transitions. This research project is investigating perceptions, subjective orientations, values and moral reasoning. It includes a new, Leeds wide, survey and linked semi-structured interviews with members of the public.

A short summary of findings from our survey is available here

Building on our survey evidence of the varied and nuanced ways in which people think about carbon emissions and climate change in relation to their everyday lives, we ran a participatory workshop with research participants and a range of other city stakeholders including Leeds City Council. We wanted to ask: how might engaging people with ‘what matters’ in their everyday lives be mobilised in support of climate friendly policy and decision making?

A report from our workshop, and the presentation slide are available here

Prof. Sarah Irwin is leading the project, with Dr. Katy Wright (SSP) and Dr. Katy Roelich (Faculty of Environment).