Your Britain Talks Climate & Nature questions answered

The good news is that more people across England, Scotland and Wales still believe that net zero is good for the UK (48%) than bad (16%). However, this still presents a lot of opportunity to get people on side; to do this, relating net zero to people’s lives and highlighting tangible benefits is effective. 

Explain net zero in meaningful, concrete terms; perhaps this means cleaner air, warmer homes, good jobs, and better health and wellbeing. When we asked people about their support for a council’s net zero targets, support increased from 50% to 64% when benefits like these were included. 

If you’re not tied to using the phrase net zero, consider replacing it with a ‘vision of better’, where benefits like a sustainable future for our children, protecting local nature, and improved safety are mentioned. We found that the majority of people (74%) respond positively towards this.

Share progress on what’s already being done. When we asked people how much of the UK’s electricity is made from renewables, this was often underestimated. When participants were told the actual figure (51%) the response was resoundingly positive, as shown in this word cloud of their responses:

Take a look at the communications toolkit on how to talk about net zero, including tips on engaging people across the seven different British segments.

Talk about solutions to climate change that bring hope. The power of people sharing positive responses towards climate action and nature is a common thread throughout Britain Talks Climate & Nature. 

Brits across the political spectrum are proud of clean energy, so be confident drawing on positive examples of the transition to renewables. Only 15% of people don’t like seeing wind turbines in the countryside, and 11% don’t like seeing solar panels on roofs. Embrace clean energy as a tangible symbol of personal and collective progress and hope—one of our recommendations on talking about energy in the home. 

Nature is a common unifier, and it brings happiness; four in five Brits say being in nature makes them very happy. Tap into this joy by talking about tackling climate change and protecting nature together where possible. What shines through is that we’re a nation of nature lovers and want to protect our environment; a particularly compelling takeaway against a backdrop of increasing polarisation and mistrust in society, politics, governments and big business. Find out how to balance talking about climate change and nature. 

Notably, in Scotland, more people take pride in the offshore wind industry (63%), than North Sea oil and gas (54%), showing a positive shift in support from the traditional fossil fuel industry. Whilst pride in offshore wind doesn’t surpass pride in fossil fuels in England and Wales, what we do see is that the Welsh are almost as proud of renewable energy projects (61% proud vs. 4% ashamed) as they are proud of their coal mining heritage (68% proud vs. 3% ashamed).

However, for many people, there’s a strong sense of pride and identity in fossil fuel industries that have powered our country, forged communities and provided jobs, so we advise showing how we can invest in a better future without disregarding our past. Discover how to strike this balance.

In terms of governance, people in Scotland are much more likely to think climate decision-making should come from Holyrood (46%) rather than Westminster (28%). In Wales, the view is more balanced between the Senedd and Westminster (both 35%). In both Scotland and Wales, the difference between segments is stark: Progressive Activists favour devolved power as opposed to Traditional Conservatives who strongly prefer Westminster-based climate leadership. 

Whilst these are interesting differences in opinion between people in England, Scotland and Wales, they’re not drastic enough to sway the key takeaways from the research.

The seven British segments, created by our partner More in Common, have underpinned Britain Talks Climate since its first release in 2020, offering a values-based insight into how Brits truly think and feel. 

These segments have now evolved to reflect shifts in worldviews and perceptions over the course of the last five years. In our report on the seven segments, at the bottom of each section, you’ll see a summary of how the old segments translate to the new seven.

In terms of how to engage each of the seven segments, we offer tailored advice for these specific audiences in each chapter of the communications toolkit. For example, as the Incrementalist Left (21% of the population) care deeply about many climate and nature issues, when engaging this group we recommend celebrating the action that communities are already taking—for example planting trees, leaving the car at home and coming together to create change. 

When talking with Dissenting Disruptors (20% of the population)—as they feel frustrated with the status quo and don’t trust that leaders will take ordinary people into account—we advise giving voice to everyday people in communities who are feeling the impact of climate change. 

No demographic information is used to determine which segment someone falls into, however some segments do have distinct demographic characteristics. For example, Traditional Conservatives are the oldest segment, Sceptical Scrollers are the most ethnically diverse segment, and Progressive Activists and Established Liberals are the most likely to have a university degree. There is a full demographic breakdown of all of the segments in the appendix of the Shattered Britain report.

We use the seven British segments as a basis for Britain Talks Climate & Nature as they often give a truer sense of people’s attitudes than traditionally-used demographics. The chart below shows an example of where there’s more variation in response by segment than age, where people are asked how worried they are about climate change. In this case, compared with the national average of 64% of people feeling worried, seeing that Traditional Conservatives (37%), Sceptical Scrollers (42%) and Dissenting Disruptors (46%) are outliers allows us to consider a nuanced approach to communicating with these groups. You can see our specific recommendations across segments in the communications toolkit. 

Britain Talks Climate & Nature incorporates feedback from over 7,000 people, split  proportionately across the seven British segments produced by More in Common. The three largest seven segments are: Incrementalist Left (21% of the population), Rooted Patriots (20%), and Dissenting Disruptors (20%). The others are Progressive Activists (12%), Sceptical Scrollers (10%), Established Liberals (9%) and Traditional Conservatives (8%). 

For this research, the specific numbers are as follows:

• Incrementalist Left: 1,831 people
• Rooted Patriots: 1,426 people
• Dissenting Disruptors: 1,389 people
• Progressive Activists: 969 people
• Sceptical Scrollers: 527 people
• Established Liberals: 910 people
• Traditional Conservatives: 721 people

If you want to dig deeper, you can get to know the seven British segments. 

We can do better at consulting people, especially at a local level. We see that many people don’t feel part of decisions being made, and are left with the impression that any consultation done is a ‘tick box exercise’. 

People feel overwhelmingly positive about the idea of being consulted on climate actions happening in their local area; for example, 88% feel positive or neutral about being asked to take part in a community consultation about plans for a wind farm in their area. This word cloud of responses encapsulates this: 

Develop different ways for people to play a meaningful role. In terms of local consultation, online seems to be more preferable than face-face—a shift since our last edition of Britain Talks Climate—showing that people want quick and easy ways to engage that fits into their day-to-day lives. See more of our insights on engagement and how to apply them.  

We also have specific advice on renewable energy policy, and recommendations on how to talk about net zero.

Our findings and recommendations for Britain Talks Climate & Nature are all openly accessible to all via our interactive report and communications toolkit. 

We have split the report into relevant chapters for ease of consumption:
1. Overview
2. Key findings
3. Climate and nature
4. The cost and fairness of tackling climate change
5. Trust and leadership
6. Energy
7. Consultation and engagement
8. Methods and acknowledgement

The toolkit includes advice on how to engage people across:
1. Climate and nature
2. Net zero
3. Renewable energy policy and infrastructure
4. Energy in the home
5. Consultation
6. Adaptation and mitigation
7. Political leadership

We encourage you to explore and interrogate Britain Talks Climate & Nature—there’s lots to dig into! if you have any more questions, please get in touch.

This blog was contributed to by Emma Peet and Chris Pollard at Climate Outreach, and Ed Hodgson at More in Common.