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Our CAST briefing paper co-authored with Dr Charles Ogunbode re-analyses and reviews key insights from the pivotal Spotlight report, as well as CAST climate views survey data.
We found that people of colour in the UK are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. Compared to white respondents, people of colour in the UK were more likely to say they have experienced climate impacts personally. They were also more likely to be concerned about climate change and see it as a serious, urgent threat. And while people of colour experience higher climate anxiety levels compared to white respondents, they also reported feeling greater efficacy and hope and expressed greater levels of support for several climate change policies.
The current evidence base, including the one outlined in the briefing paper, is very limited. Sample sizes don’t allow, for example, robust comparisons to be made between different minority ethnic and racial groups, and this limits their application in campaign and engagement strategies. There is a need a more dedicated focus on the climate views and experiences of people of colour in the UK, with insights budgets that permit truly inclusive samples, prioritisation of projects that paint a more nuanced and richer picture of public opinion on climate change.
Why better insights on ethnicity are important for climate communication
People of colour in the UK are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. But despite this, there remains a lack of research around diversity, experience and engagement with climate change.