Collaborating with the civil sector and media: Insights for powerful climate engagement
At CAST, we recognise that people must be at the heart of climate solutions. Our research provides environmental charities, campaigners and the media with the insights they need to design and deliver effective, inclusive, and widely supported climate initiatives.
How social science can support environmental organisations
Delivering successful climate initiatives, campaigns and communications involves more than sharing scientific knowledge and data – it also requires an understanding of people.
Social science helps explain:
- How individuals and communities perceive and respond to climate impacts and climate initiatives
- What motivates or hinders low-carbon behaviours and wider climate action
- What messages, messengers and framings resonate with different audiences
- How to design projects that are inclusive and speak to people’s values and priorities
How we work with the third sector & communicators
We don’t just research the social science of climate change. We also work directly with charities, community groups, NGOs, communicators and the media to turn our insights into practical actions that strengthen climate engagement and impact.
We can offer:
- Timely data and insights to guide campaign design and engagement strategies
- Collaborative research projects tailored to your mission and audience
- Advisory support from experts in climate communication and behaviour change
- Tailored briefings for boards, staff, and volunteers
- Training and workshops to embed social science understanding into programmes and campaigns
- Speakers for events, webinars and media pieces
Highlights
- Evaluating the impacts of community climate hubs in motivating low-carbon behaviour.
- Assessing sports climate initiative Pledgeball on its effectiveness in influencing social norms and conversations around climate change amongst football fans.
- Collating a data compilation and co-hosting a webinar with climate opinion specialists Climate Barometer to share insights on public engagement with climate-friendly diets.
- Helping community-led initiative Our Streets Chorlton reduce car use in Manchester.
- Tracking public perceptions, views and actions related to climate change over time in the UK, Brazil, China and Sweden.
- Understanding how to support repair and reuse hubs in Wales.
Tamasin Rhymes, Programme and Impact Manage, Energy Project Lead, Greener and Cleaner UK
“Greener and Cleaner found working with CAST to be a really positive experience, helping us explore what effect we were having, how people felt about what we offered and what changes they had made because of their interaction with our programmes. Staff and volunteers appreciated the chance to reflect and as an organisation it has provided real validation that we can make a difference across the local community and beyond. Being able to share the report with funders, stakeholders, policy makers and our community has informed our work and future strategy and hopefully others too.”
Relevant resources
- CAST Briefing 30 – Who holds the power? Challenges and opportunities for Citizens’ Assemblies: A briefing for policymakers and practitioners
- CAST Briefing 29 – Five principles for good public engagement: How to get people involved in the climate conversation
- CAST Briefing 27 – “But we’re a meat-eating family”: Engaging environmentally concerned but politically distrustful groups on reducing meat and dairy
- CAST Briefing 24 – ‘Moments of Change’ for Low-Carbon Behaviour
- Report – Community climate hubs: the Greener and Cleaner peer-learning model for low-carbon lifestyles
- Report – What’s stopping us? Applying psychology to accelerate climate action in sport
- Report – Community healthy food interventions: Review of outcome metrics and toolkits
- Report – Ethnicity and UK climate perceptions: Why we need greater diversity in engagement and research
- Report – Circular Economy in the Community: A Pilot Project Exploring Sustainable Models for Repair and Reuse Hubs in Wales
- Research paper – Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK | Communications Earth & Environment
- Tool – CAST Data Portal on public perceptions and actions related to climate change
For more resources, check out our blog, briefings, reports and academic articles.
We welcome collaboration from policymakers at all levels. Get in touch with us at info@cast.ac.uk or via our Contact Form to discuss how we can support your policy goals.