Civic Pragmatists
Who are Civic Pragmatists?
(12% of the British public)
Tend to be solidly on the left but not activists. This progressive, practical, moderate and highly civically engaged segment are anxious about the future – and are one of the segments most concerned that the world is becoming a more dangerous place…
Civic Pragmatists are community-oriented, being the most likely to donate to charity (94%), and share socially left beliefs with Progressive Activists. They are equally convinced that inequality and racism are serious problems in the country, and are almost as proud of embracing diversity and of advancements in gender equality. During a focus group, one participant described their segment as “liberal, creative, kind, caring, calm and realistic”. This is also a majority ‘Remainer’ segment.
The table below highlights what an ideal UK looks like for this segment, as well as the issues that are most important to them, the messengers they trust, and their preferred news sources.
| Ideal UK | Most important issues (Feb) | Most important issues (Sept) | Trusted messengers | Most read news sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmentally friendly | Healthcare and the NHS | Healthcare and the NHS | David Attenborough | BBC |
| 2 | Compassionate | Britain leaving the EU | The economy | Climate scientists | ITV |
| 3 | Tolerant | The environment and climate change | Britain leaving the EU | Environmental charities |
There is a very visible divide between how many possessions people have and what access they have to possessions and what their outlook on life is and what their beliefs are and I think it boils down to money.”
Civic Pragmatists also have a relatively high level of education but, compared to Progressive Activists, they tend to be older, with a higher proportion of women (12% above the mean). A majority are proud to be British, but there is a rejection of simplistic national identity (i.e the stereotypes associated with ‘Brits abroad’ or anti-European activism around Brexit).
I completely don’t identify with any political party.”
Yeah, there’s something about claiming you’re English, it’s all St George’s flag and topless to the waist, drinking lager somewhere, that there’s negative connotations to it and so British is something else. I mean, I feel a bit more European than anything else to be honest.”
In a clear distinction from Progressive Activists, Civic Pragmatists are evenly split on whether British identity is disappearing or being strengthened through diversity, and a majority agree – perhaps reflecting the older demographic – that there is pressure to speak a certain way about subjects like immigration and immigrants (75%).
Agreement and disagreement about British identity and diversity
Civic Pragmatists are not exclusively Labour voters, with a significant minority leaning towards the Conservatives. Generally, they are less defined by their political views than Progressive Activists.
They have higher levels of trust in institutions overall, so are less instinctively distrusting of government or industry-led climate initiatives (relative to Progressive Activists), but they are just as likely to say that politicians don’t care about people like me (84%). It is a challenge to persuade them that their efforts make a difference (i.e. a sense of efficacy) and that they can help bring about political change.
Civic Pragmatists on climate change
Civic Pragmatists are highly concerned, and are the second most engaged on climate change. However, unlike Progressive Activists, climate change is not central to their politics, and they don’t see it as exacerbating other social challenges. As the shift in their ‘top three priorities’ between February and September 2020 in the table above shows, they are equally, if not more, concerned about other issues, such as the NHS, the economy, Brexit, racism and race relations, and preserving our cultural heritage. So, while their concern about climate change is prominent, it is arguably underpinned by a fairly passive sense of conviction and relatively low levels of commitment.
Despite being a relatively economically secure segment, they are the most likely to report feeling helpless about climate change. In common with most other segments, they experience other negative, passive emotions towards climate change, such as anxiety and sadness (only Progressive Activists experience more active, energised emotions, such as anger).
The world is in quite dire straits when it comes to the planet and it’s kind of like the planet’s getting back at us.”
You can’t deny the effects of what’s happening. You can’t deny it. It’s happening right in front of you.”
That’s all I ever hear from my daughter. ‘Mum, the climate’s going to pot. What’s the point? Nobody’s going to listen to us’.”
Alongside Progressive Activists, Civic Pragmatists show the highest level of trust in environmental charities as sources of information on climate change, as well as high levels of trust in climate scientists, David Attenborough, farmers, and people affected by floods or fires. While generally positive towards groups such as Extinction Rebellion, believing that protests boost awareness of climate change, Civic Pragmatists are concerned that these groups are perceived negatively in wider society.
I think if they just get people’s backs up, then it doesn’t show them in such a good light but for what they’re doing, I think they’re a really good group.”
...they definitely need to be aware that they could be irritating people sometimes, maybe stopping them doing their daily job. Yeah, they need to just be careful about not upsetting the general public, rather than taking them along with them.”
I think the general media are putting them in this kind of box of a type of people and that I think could be damaging for them, if they’re considered to be vegans ... and activists with dreadlocks and that kind of thing.”
For Civic Pragmatists, climate action is the responsibility of everyone – individuals have their role to play, but so do governments in regulating industries.
I think that change starts at home, so I start to do my little bit, rather than thinking it’s the big factories that will make a massive impact. I do little things. So maybe it makes a change and it makes a difference because if everybody did a tiny little bit, it makes a massive impact, rather than just thinking, oh I can’t do anything, it’s just the bigger guys that are responsible.”
... industry, commercial companies want to appeal to the man and the woman on the street. If environmental consciousness is important to them, then it will eventually be important to the industries, won’t it?”
Without government support and them pushing it to the forefront, then us, as individuals, can only do so much.”
Climate change is part of what Civic Pragmatists talk about with their friends and family, with a focus on being responsible for their own actions and those of their families, rather than having a strong urge to advocate:
I talk about it with my husband when we do a food shop, we’ll talk about getting the loose apples, instead of a bag of apples, covered in plastic or the biodegradable caddy bags instead of a plastic one. I wouldn’t say I talk about it massively with anyone else out of that context, I don’t think.”
It does annoy me every single time when I open something, a salad bag or whatever and I can’t recycle that plastic, but there’s no other choices for me.”
However, Civic Pragmatists experience mixed feelings about their own actions, with a degree of tension between feeling good and validated about their behaviours, and feeling guilty and judged by others.
I still drive to go shopping, to get my shopping. I do try to walk but it takes me about an hour … I don’t think I could give up my car. So, yeah, that makes me feel a little bit guilty.”
Personal actions to stop climate change: Progressive Activists and Civic Pragmatists
As a relatively well-off segment, they have the means and the motivation to take a range of personal actions. On reducing their electricity use and switching to a renewable energy supplier, they are second only to Progressive Activists, and they show fairly high levels of engagement with recycling, reducing waste and buying local. However, they are far less likely to reduce their meat consumption and, when it comes to political activity, the two segments are a long way apart. Just 15% vote based on a political party’s climate change policy, and less than 20% say they have signed a petition or contacted their MP on climate change.
NEW: Climate policy support and involvement
Biggest Issues (after cost of living and NHS)
- Climate change & the environment
- Poverty and inequality
- Housing
Most worried that climate change might…
- Harm nature and wildlife
- Have a negative impact on my children’s futures
- Cause my bills and other costs to rise
Reasons to not participate in consultations
1) I don’t trust MPs so don’t want to engage with them
2) Me taking part won’t make a difference
3) I don’t trust my local councillors so don’t want to engage with them
Reasons to participate in consultations
1) It’s important that local people have a say in things that concern their local area
2) I see it as part of doing my bit to combat climate change
3) It’s nice to hear others’ opinions and discuss with them
Three ways to engage Civic Pragmatists in climate policy change
- Highlight local community action and related benefits: this segment likes to hear good stories about local life, including everyday action on climate and nature across a range of organisations.
- Focus on how national policy should be fair and address cost concerns: this segment wants to feel that the government will act, and in a way that means people won’t face costs they can’t afford.
- Give them a reason to get involved: talk about why their actions will make a real difference, and how they can help.
See the Seven segments 2024 overview here.
Civic Pragmatists support the transition but are worried about whether it will be fair to people like them
They still care deeply about climate change and nature but cost of living pressures and lack of climate leadership over the past years have caused this segment to doubt society’s ability to tackle issues in a fair way, where individuals won’t bear the brunt of the transition.
For example, being one of the segments that tend to use public transport or travel actively less often than other segments, Civic Pragmatists are somewhat uncertain about whether or not the transition away from fossil fuels in the transport sector will be fair to them or not.
If the government doesn't actually provide schemes to enable everyone the opportunity to get [a solar panel], then it's counterproductive because it's not a battle that we can win as individuals. It needs to be a collective and the collective needs to be managed and governed properly.”
Civic Pragmatist, Cardiff
I think it's affordability, isn't it…I'm getting on a bit, but it's the young people that are going to have to deal with it, but can we afford it?”
Civic Pragmatist, Edinburgh
Trust in politicians and civil society is wavering
Among other things, ‘partygate’ and the cost of living crisis has deeply affected Civic Pragmatists and their concerns about fairness, which has eroded some of their patience and trust they would typically have with politicians. Despite this, their generalised interpersonal trust is still high, and so opportunity for climate engagement remains.
The thing that's disheartening about climate change is it seems like it keeps getting watered down again and again. It's just a bit disheartening that all the science says we're running out of time, but we're relaxing a lot of these policies, so it's very disheartening I'd say.”
Civic Pragmatist, Edinburgh
Civic Pragmatists want the government to look after people and wildlife at home
This segment thinks that the most important issues for the government to prioritise are ensuring availability of food, increasing renewable energy use and protecting nature and wildlife. Policies that benefit them and their communities’ daily lives.
Among the least important climate and environmental issues for the government to address are encouraging banks and pension funds to invest in an environmentally-friendly way, ensuring reliable public transport for all communities and using Britain’s influence and example to encourage other countries to take action on climate change. This segment seems to place less importance on policies that are less directly beneficial to people and wildlife in their local communities, and those they feel may not be fair to people like them.
Engaging the Civic Pragmatists
Build on their existing civic engagement and relatively high levels of trust by making it easier for them to participate in change. Convince them of the need for their voice of ‘radical pragmatism’ in climate politics. Build their confidence and conviction, and shift their concern to a deeper commitment on climate change.
Key takeaways
Convince them their voice is needed in climate politics
Civic Pragmatists are likely to be able to ‘see past’ their opinion of the government of the day and to support genuinely progressive climate policies when they see them – but they are not as active in climate politics as they could be. In many ways they are a core audience for environmental NGOs, given their high levels of trust in these charities, as well as establishment institutions, so convince them that their voice of ‘radical pragmatism’ is a necessary part of climate change politics. Doing so will require a different kind of emphasis compared to the Progressive Activists: one that foregrounds a constructive, as opposed to accusatory, approach to government.
Link climate to other issues they care about
This segment wants to go with, and to be seen to go with, the grain of progress, but environmentalism isn’t a core part of their identity. They’re busy and also interested in/worried about other issues, so climate moves up and down their priority list. Bring these issues together in a way that emphasises the positive social and economic effects of tackling climate change – reducing pressure on the NHS, ensuring a more resilient economy, and creating a post-Brexit society in which marginalised communities can play a fuller part – so they don’t always have to choose where to turn their attention, and so they begin to place climate action at the heart of a progressive government agenda.
Build their confidence as advocates for their community
Civic Pragmatists regularly give to charity, are highly involved in their local community and engage in a range of ‘personal’ low-carbon behaviours. Build their confidence in being an important part of the effort by showing them that they are already activists in their own lives. Be sympathetic about the difficulties of trying to follow a sustainable lifestyle and explain that commitment to a cause doesn’t mean passing some kind of green ‘purity’ test. Make it easier for them to engage through activities in their local area, where they can use their soft power to open the space up to others.
Use ‘restoring balance’ and a ‘sense of unity’ as key narratives
Previous research suggests that ‘restoring balance’ (because we are out of synch with nature) is a good way of engaging across the political spectrum on climate change. It is likely to strike a particular chord with this segment, alongside stories of unity and ‘pulling together’, given their eagerness to move past issues of polarisation in political discussion or for government to address the cost of living crisis in a fair and collaborative manner.
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