Britain Talks Climate

Britain Talks Climate is an evidence-based toolkit designed to support any organisation that wants to engage the British public on climate change. It offers a shared, strategic understanding of the British public, and – against a backdrop of growing concern about polarisation – identifies effective ways to engage across the whole of society.

The segmentation research underpinning Britain Talks Climate reveals a public that is fractured but not deeply polarised, with climate change emerging as an issue that has the potential to unite us. But building narratives that resonate with a diverse range of values and everyday concerns is critical for the long-term goal of deepening public engagement – and keeping it there.

• • Britons know that climate change is real and that humans are causing it
  • Climate change is consistently seen as a concern for ‘everybody’
  • Certain values and ideas have almost universal resonance across Britain
  • All segments acknowledge some (unintended) positive aspects of the Covid-19 lockdown
  • No-one wants to go back to ‘normal’ after the worst of the pandemic is over

The research included a survey of over 10,000 British adults, as well as 12 focus groups and 35 in-depth interviews.

The summary explains the motivations behind Britain Talks Climate and previews some of the themes to look out for as you move through the rest of the toolkit.