Britain Talks Climate & Nature 2025

Welcome to the fifth Britain Talks Climate report. It is the most important one yet. 

Britain Talks Climate & Nature exists to better understand and engage with people’s priorities, questions and concerns about climate and nature. It helps you tell more compelling climate stories that resonate with people with different values and backgrounds. 

Our research this year finds overwhelming evidence that getting the story right has never been more crucial. When we fail to connect with people’s realities and aspirations we undermine our own hard-won progress. But when we get it right, we build strong and almost universal support for bold action on climate change.

This report is based on the most up to date and far-reaching exploration of what people think and, most importantly, feel, about climate and nature in 2025. It’s based on extensive surveys of more than 7,000 people and focus groups around Britain. 

You will find deep insight into how people in England, Wales and Scotland view climate change, how much we value nature, how we’re feeling about the energy transition and the politics of these issues. 

You will also find a new communications toolkit, designed to help you navigate, and crucially put into practice, the most useful data and communications insights for your audience.

The seven segments

Underpinning Britain Talks Climate & Nature are the seven British segments, produced by More in Common. The segments group British society into seven distinct segments based on people’s values, core beliefs and world views. 

The British segments have evolved since the original launch of this grouping of British society back in 2020, when Climate Outreach also launched Britain Talks Climate. The seven segments in 2025 are: Progressive Activists, Incrementalist Left, Established Liberals, Sceptical Scrollers, Traditional Conservatives, Rooted Patriots and Dissenting Disruptors. 

Identifying and exploring how these seven segments think and feel about climate change and nature allows us to understand where and how people differ. It enables us to identify the stories and ideas that resonate with different people, and to surface what we share, and the stories that speak to us all.

Scotland and Wales

Throughout the BTC 2025 insights report, you can read about our findings across England, Scotland and Wales. The research includes nationally-representative samples across all three nations.

Broadly, our analysis finds similar sentiments across Britain, but we have emphasised key areas that differ slightly across nations.

We have also drawn out the key insights across Scotland and Wales in stand-alone slide decks to ensure quick and easy access to nation-specific findings:

• Scotland focused insights
• Wales focused insights, in English
• Wales focused insights, in Welsh

Summary

For many years, there has been a cross-party consensus in the UK on the urgent need to tackle climate change and reduce our carbon emissions. 

Not any more. A well-funded and agile opposition is taking aim at our climate ambition. They are doing so at a time of huge worry and stress for people across the nation, and of rock bottom trust in institutions. At a time when experts are warning of ‘Dickensian levels’ of poverty. A moment where people are genuinely fearful of World War three, and of AI snatching their and their children’s future employment. 

Some working in politics and the media have written off our chances of making progress on climate change, and building a more prosperous future.  

But, as this research finds, this is out of step with the views and desires of people up and down the country. 

We find almost all of us are worried about climate change. We see the climate changing – and understand that frequent heatwaves and flooding isn’t just ‘weather.’ We are deeply concerned about the impact on our nature, our farms and our future.

We are a nation of nature lovers. We are fiercely proud of our national parks, nature charities, forests and footpaths. 

But many people are maxed out with what they feel are more immediate concerns and challenges, and climate change doesn’t always feel like a feature of day-to-day life. People are genuinely worried about the cost of climate policies. Many are deeply sceptical that they can save them money.  

But in spite of this, around the country, people everywhere are showing up for the planet – they are recycling, reducing waste, choosing to walk or cycle and feeling proud of homegrown clean energy. Brits are twice as likely to back an ambitious than a restrained response to climate change, including those who are struggling financially.  

We have to be far better at recognising and celebrating the change we have already made and the pride people feel in it.

Our concern for climate change and nature doesn’t automatically translate into support for detailed policies. 

This is where we have work to do. We need to better understand people’s fears and resistance because active public support isn’t optional.

The good news is that people across the board are with us when our communication is clear and inviting. They respond enthusiastically to policies when they’re translated and brought to life. We see huge increases in support for action when we explain why it matters and what it means for people’s lives. 

In particular, we need to talk far more about and engage people about what is happening in our neighbourhoods. People are genuinely excited and happy when they hear about how climate policy is an investment in something tangible and worthwhile for their homes or communities.

This has always been true. But now the stakes are much higher.

Those of us who want to tackle climate change robustly and fairly are in the majority. We don’t always feel like the powerful collective we are. 

Britain Talks Climate & Nature aims to provide you with the most useful and usable insights and practical advice. It seeks to help us chart the course to the story of climate and nature we need right now: of unstoppable progress to a better today and tomorrow for us all. Please use it.