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5 key messages from five years of CAST research: New report

5 key messages from five years of CAST research: New report

Read our latest CAST report: 'Catalysts of Change: People at the Heart of Climate Transformations', and watch our animation summarising 5 key messages from five years of CAST social science research on climate change and how we can achieve the social changes needed to tackle climate change.

Our Vision

The Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) is a global hub for understanding the systemic and society-wide transformations that are required to address climate change. At the core of our work is a fundamental question of enormous social significance: how can we as a society live differently - and better - in ways that meet the urgent need for rapid and far-reaching emission reductions?

People at the heart of transformations

We want to understand how people can participate in transformation in their multiple roles as citizens, consumers, parents, employees, business leaders, policy-makers. This means recognising that people can act both directly to reduce emissions – like driving less – but equally have the ability to shape wider structural change – like changing organisational practices and shaping policies.

A focus on values and co-benefits

We set out to align the positive outcomes of action on climate change with those in other domains like health and wellbeing. CAST seeks to identify low-carbon futures and actions that also provide other co-benefits - like cleaner air, lower bills, more resilient or fairer communities.

"We want to work closely with people and organisations to achieve positive low-carbon futures — transforming the way we live our lives, and reconfiguring organisations and cities."

Prof. Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, CAST Director

Explore our four areas of focus

Find out why we are focusing on four key areas: Diet, Mobility, Material Consumption and Thermal Comfort.

Our resources include policy briefings, working papers, academic articles, reports and other resources exploring the science of climate action.

We believe effective change requires working with people to understand their values and needs.

News from CAST

Our latest report

CAST research shows Cornwall Council staff are highly concerned about climate change, but knowledge gaps prevent them from taking action

Our latest CAST briefing on motivating a low-carbon workforce shows Cornwall Council staff are very concerned about climate change but knowledge gaps prevent them from taking action. As part of our research commissioned by the Cornwall Council (CC), we published a briefing resource: ‘Motivating a low-carbon workforce – Insights from…

CAST responds to the Prime Minister’s new approach to Net Zero: How will this impact the UK meeting its climate targets?

Words by Dr Dan Thorman, Professor Wouter Poortinga and Dr Katharine Steentjes CAST researchers respond to the Prime Minister’s ‘new approach’ to Net Zero and discuss how this announcement will impact the UK meeting its climate targets. The Government’s U-turn on climate policy is completely at odds with the direction…

CAST survey reveals that Cornwall residents are more concerned about climate change than the rest of the UK and strongly back climate action

© Photography by Beryl Bikes A new CAST survey report, produced in collaboration with Cornwall Council as part of a year-long project, has revealed that Cornwall residents are more concerned about climate change than the rest of the UK and strongly back climate action. In our new survey report: ‘Cornwall…

CAST report reveals that substantial behaviour change is required across society to reach the UK’s net zero 2050 target

Our latest CAST report, commissioned by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), reveals that substantial behaviour change is required across society to reach the UK’s ambitious net-zero 2050 target, with 60% of reductions needing to come from consumers. In our latest CAST report: ‘The Implications of Behavioural Science for Effective Climate…