A major new programme exploring how to get people more involved in climate action and enable behavioural change is being led by researchers at the University of Bath.
The four-year programme, People Centred Climate Resilience, will run until March 2030 with an investment of £3.83m from QCF, an independent charitable foundation. The programme involves the Universities of Bath, East Anglia, Manchester, and Aberdeen, alongside the charity Climate Outreach, and is based within the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
The programme will be led at Bath by Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, with Dr Sam Hampton acting as deputy director. A new project manager will join in June 2026, with research activity ramping up from the autumn.
Building on CAST’s existing work, the programme will focus on how to encourage widespread changes in behaviour to support a low carbon, climate resilient future. It will combine academic research with real world trials to understand what works in practice and how successful approaches can be scaled up.
A key aim is to move beyond technology only solutions and place people at the centre of climate action. The team will explore what motivates people to positively engage with the climate crises, what holds them back, and how to design practical ways to support lasting change.
The programme will focus on both climate mitigation (reducing emissions and slowing temperature rise) and adaptation (helping people and communities respond to the impacts of climate change).
Explaining this approach, Professor Whitmarsh, director of CAST and researcher at the Department of Psychology, said: “This programme will enable us to test out what works to enable people to change their behaviour to be more climate-friendly. Unlike most previous work, this includes not only low-carbon actions, but also things which help people cope with the impacts of climate change.”
Key project activities will include:
- Understanding what shapes people’s attitudes and behaviours around climate change, and identifying the barriers to action.
- Testing practical ways to support changes in everyday areas including travel, diet and energy use and understanding the wider benefits for health and wellbeing.
- Tracking how conversations about climate action spread, including the role played by influencers on social media
- Working with partners to roll out successful approaches across different sectors, such as local government, business and community organisations
- Training and supporting the next generation of researchers and community-based climate advocates
The team will work closely with policymakers, local authorities, businesses and communities to ensure the findings lead to real world change across the UK.
This investment marks a major step forward for CAST, strengthening the University of Bath’s role as a leader in understanding how society can respond to climate change.
Professor Whitmarsh said: “We want to better understand the different roles people can play in driving climate action. By recognising the range of perspectives people bring, we can learn what the public is willing to support – and what needs to happen to make positive action easier.
“From there, we can focus on removing the barriers that hold people back and help ensure climate policies work for everyone. We know people want to help tackle climate change, but need help to do so. This includes making climate-friendly actions – like installing low-carbon cooling instead of air-conditioners, or saving water – easier, cheaper, and the natural choice.”