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People increasingly understand climate change as happening in the ‘here and now’. But there is a long way to go before the severity of climate risks is fully appreciated, and people are fully supported in preparing for and adapting to impacts.
Concern about the proximity of climate risks (in the ‘here and now’) has risen steadily among the British public, and a motivation to prevent climate impacts from worsening is a big part of overall public concern about climate change. In 2010, only 41% of people agreed ‘we are already feeling the effects of climate change’. By 2022, this figure had risen to 72%.
In our own Climate Barometer tracker data, and in wider message testing research, concern about worsening climate impacts is one of the most motivating arguments for pursuing net zero: worries about climate impacts are part of what makes the case for policies to cut carbon.
Indeed, for most non-specialists there is no meaningful distinction between climate impacts and adaptation on the one hand, and efforts to cut carbon in pursuit of net zero on the other. When asked directly, people are most likely to say mitigation and adaptation should both be prioritised.
But there are still differences in the ways people experience climate risks: ethnic minorities are likely to face heightened threats from climate impacts, while some of the most vulnerable people in society (e.g. older people) don’t always see themselves as being especially at risk from rising heat. Working-class communities may experience climate impacts through rises in food prices linked to adverse weather.
Climate Barometer tracker data (below) shows people still see themselves (and their local area) as less likely to be harmed by climate change in the next five years than ‘younger generations’ will be in the future.
Some parts of the British population – Loyal Nationals for example – are highly attuned to risks, and so are one of the most likely groups of people to notice and be concerned about climate threats. But there is still a long way to go before the severity of risks is fully appreciated, and people are fully supported in preparing for and adapting to climate impacts.
For instance, when it comes to a sense of personal risk and household preparedness, most people in the UK remain unaware of their own local flood risks, and don’t know what actions they need to take in the event of flooding.
The data is especially mismatched when it comes to the most vulnerable. UK citizens, including vulnerable groups (such as older people), tend to have positive associations with hot weather, and don’t feel they are personally at risk. And of the millions of households that are considered ‘at risk’ of flooding in the UK, less than 10% think they are at risk, while even fewer have plans for how to respond. Given that low-income households (who typically struggle to cover the financial burden of flooding) are at a disproportionate risk of flooding, these are troubling findings.
Shifting this situation is likely to mean realigning communications to better highlight the seriousness of the risks the country faces and to make connections more directly to people’s lived experiences.
When extreme weather is in the news (or being experienced first hand), climate change becomes more prominent in the public mind. But between bouts of extreme weather, maintaining that salience is easier said than done.
New research by Climate Outreach shows that support for adaptation action significantly increases when people are shown tangible solutions, such as heatproofing our homes and restoring natural flood defences.
The study – a survey of 7,000 people across Britain and in-depth focus groups across the UK – found that:
This echoes findings from Climate Barometer’s tracker which shows that adaptation and mitigation are supported equally, as well as past research by Climate Outreach/Cardiff University showing that the public see these broad responses as “two sides of the same coin“.
A new piece by Local Storytelling Exchange brings together people’s experiences of extreme weather: from tree planting to preventing waterlogged cricket pitches, to shading schools from the rising heat. Amidst “The new normal”, Exchange are sharing stories and multimedia content to highlight how people in Britain are already adapting to extreme weather, including heatwaves, drought and floods – and spotlighting that they can’t do it alone. Here are a couple of quotes from contributors:
“It’s really challenging when you have relatively small classrooms with up to 30 children and multiple adults. When it’s over 30 degrees in the summer, it’s suffocating.”–Rona Mackie, head teacher at Guildford Grove Primary School
“Houses in Scotland are built to retain heat, which is great in the winter, but it’s problematic if you’re getting temperatures of 30 degrees and your flat is sitting at 27 or 28 degrees for a few days on end. The consequences of that could be massive ” – Dani Waddell, manager of Crossroads Youth and Community Association
New survey data shows that nearly three quarters (71%) believe the government should make adapting to climate risks like floods, heat, and droughts an “urgent, top priority”, while only a minority (15%) disagreed.
The findings, from a nationally representative UK survey in collaboration with Flooded People, highlight the public desire for action on impacts like floods, storms, heat and drought.
While experts in the climate sector separate out ‘adaptation’ and ‘mitigation’, our new data shows that a majority (55%) think these two broad responses should be prioritised equally (echoing our previous tracker insights).
The survey also showed that most people report one or more direct experience of climate impacts. Heatwaves and extreme heat are the most commonly experienced climate impact (felt by 46%). A third have experienced ‘severe storms’ (30%), and a fifth say they have been directly affected either by flooding or poor air quality (both 21%). It’s less than a third (29%) who still say they have “no experience of impacts” at all.