Bath-based environmental psychologist Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh was invited to Parliament on Wednesday 3 September to give evidence to MPs on the Energy Security & Net Zero Committee, as part of their inquiry into building public support for the UK’s clean energy transition.
As Director of the Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations (CAST), Professor Whitmarsh specialises in public perceptions and behaviour around climate change, energy, and transport. She has led pioneering work on how to effectively engage the public in climate action.
CAST’s written evidence to the Committee underscored the critical role of public engagement and trust in achieving the UK’s net zero goals. It highlighted that while many people are willing to adopt low-carbon lifestyles, they need clear, consistent information and practical support. The submission also warned that misperceptions around technologies such as heat pumps could hinder uptake, and stressed the importance of inclusive, community-based approaches to ensure a fair and widely accepted energy transition.
During the evidence session, Professor Whitmarsh drew on multiple CAST briefings and research papers, including the recent House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee report, In Our Hands: Behaviour Change for Climate and Environmental Goals, for which she served as a Specialist Adviser.
That report warned that the UK will not meet its net zero and environmental targets without stronger government leadership on enabling behaviour change. It called for a national public engagement strategy, better cross-departmental coordination, and stronger partnerships with civil society, local authorities, and businesses. It also emphasised the need for clearer communication and education to support sustainable lifestyle choices in areas such as travel, food, energy use, and consumption.
This autumn the government is expected to publish its Net Zero Public Participation Strategy, outlining its approach to engaging with the public when developing energy policy and in supporting people to adopt new technologies.
Commenting after the session, Professor Whitmarsh said: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to give evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s inquiry and share insights from the Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations on how to engage the public with the clean energy transition.
“The Committee were keen to learn about how the government can communicate more effectively and support low-carbon behaviour change, to help ensure the UK meets its climate and energy targets.”
Bath MP and ESNZ Committee member Wera Hobhouse added: “It's brilliant to see that University of Bath's own Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh provided evidence at the ESNZ Committee this week as an expert on how we can build public support for the UK’s energy transition.
“CAST’s work, with Lorraine at the helm, is leading the way in understanding how to put people at the heart of climate change action. I'm so proud that Bath is home to such committed pioneers.”
Read more about Lorraine and CAST’s pioneering work on public engagement in climate change
Other relevant resources:
CAST Briefing 28: How not to transform – Learning from the backlash against low-carbon heating policy in Germany Read the briefing
CAST Briefing 20: How can politicians avoid a net-zero backlash? The role of public engagement Read the briefing
Ipsos/CAST polling on Net Zero Living – Strongest support for energy efficiency measures View the polling results
CAST review for the Climate Change Committee – Behavioural science for climate policy Read the review
House of Lords report: In Our Hands – Behaviour change for climate and environmental goals Read the report
CAST/Ipsos review for the Scottish Government – Effective climate change public engagement Read the review
GO-Science briefing – Public engagement with grid infrastructure upgrades Read the briefing
The British Academy Review – Net Zero Governance Read the review
Climate Outreach – Engaging the public on heat pumps Explore the research