Research paper: Feeling empowered and able to make a difference is key to engagement on adaptation

A new research output by Climate Outreach shows that support for adaptation action significantly increases when people are shown tangible solutions, such as heat-proofing our homes and restoring natural flood defences.

The piece – based on a survey of 7,000 people across Britain (carried out in 2025) and in-depth focus groups across the UK (done in 2026) found that:

• Three-quarters of people (75%) believe the government needs to take climate change “seriously” – this means a focus preparing for the worst impacts of climate change, for instance, by making our homes more suited for the heat, and building better flood defences.
• Most people give equal support for actions that count as adaptation and mitigation. A majority recognises that both adapting to intensifying climate impacts and lowering our future carbon emissions are of equal importance.
• The terms ‘climate adaptation’ and ‘climate resilience’ aren’t widely understood. Only half of people know what ‘climate adaptation’ means, whilst less than half know what ‘climate resilience’ is.
• The way climate adaptation is framed makes a huge difference to how much people support it. The more we explain what adaptation actions are and why we are doing them, the more people support the action.

The findings echo Climate Barometer tracker data 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’.