2. Key Findings and Recommendations

This research has delved deeper than previous studies, exploring what people really think and feel about these issues, so that we can better understand and meet this moment.

People think climate change is important

People in Britain are concerned and worried about climate change. 74% feel the issue is important.

People feel sad and concerned about the impact we are having on the environment and the natural world.

Worries about climate change are strong and enduring, despite competing concerns: a cost of living crisis, health worries, international conflicts, and a deep and pervasive sense that our country is in a very bad way.

People are disillusioned

Across Britain people feel a deep distrust in politics, politicians and governments – many feel fed up and penalised. More than half of Brits say they feel ‘worried’ and ‘uncertain’ about the future for young people. More in Common’s recent report – Shattered Britain – describes how people view Britain as ‘broken’.

People are open to clear and well-framed communication about climate change

To break through this landscape of distrust and disillusionment, we need to approach the conversation differently. How we frame these issues makes an enormous difference: effective communication and engagement is not a nice-to-have, it’s absolutely vital.

We know people are concerned and want to protect our environment. But many of us try to avoid thinking and talking about it to avoid negative feelings. This doesn’t mean they don’t care, or don’t support action to address climate change.

But people struggle to trust approaches to tackling climate change, or see the positives or benefits that will come from them. The lack of trust is not unique to climate policy, but it is imperative that those working to address climate change understand and respond to these dynamics.

By talking to people throughout this research, a number of clear recommendations for communicators and policymakers emerged.

Key recommendations for communicators

1. Translate and explain, don’t assume or assert

It has never been more important to make tackling climate change clear and appealing to a broad range of people.

Technical and elite jargon often dominates climate conversations. For public audiences this language can be meaningless at best. At worst, it promotes a feeling of “them and us” and fuels an impression that this is “not for me”.

With trust in society’s institutions collapsing, anyone advocating for ambitious climate action cannot afford to talk to ourselves or to alienate potential allies.

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.

It’s never been more important for climate communicators to:

• Ditch jargon – use familiar words and terms that feature in normal conversations
• Dial down the stats – most people don’t trust them and they tend not to deepen understanding

2. Inspire a better future: show why tackling climate change leads to good things for us all

Climate change has an image problem. While almost everyone knows it’s happening, many find it boring or depressing. This means many try not to think about it or talk about it too much.

Alarming facts about climate change do not trump what many feel are more pressing concerns, like the cost of living or health worries. Instead of expecting a different response, communicators need to take a different approach.

We need to talk much more about the better future we’re trying to create. And how tackling climate change helps us improve other aspects of our lives, especially locally and in very tangible ways.

People are crying out for authentic, positive stories about progress: what’s already happening, especially in their local areas, what we can be proud of and what can be done to make things better.

We need to flip the script. We need to:

• Connect tackling climate change with protecting nature and improving our health, wellbeing, and other aspects of our daily lives and local areas. These are ideas we need to evoke as much as we possibly can – we must put these messages on repeat.
• Highlight positive progress: most people don’t know we’ve already reduced emissions, and many feel ‘happy’ when they hear about it, despite scepticism around statistics.
• Enlist different types of messengers with great stories who radiate passion, credibility and empathy.
• Avoid getting bogged down in attempts to rebut false information and negative narratives – and tell a better story instead.

When we do these things, we make tackling climate change more strongly supported and more unifying.

3. Don’t take support for granted but don’t misinterpret or overestimate opposition

People from all walks of life have concerns about the cost and politics of net zero. But this does not mean they are not concerned about climate change or they’re opposed to action to protect the environment.

The proportion of people who think net zero is good for the UK has gone down over the last year. This is driven by growing mistrust of governments and politicians, along with fears about costs, and an increasingly organised and vocal opposition.

But while the outright opposition to net zero is noisy, it remains relatively niche among the general public across England, Scotland and Wales. Almost three times as many people think net zero is good (48%) than bad (16%) for the UK. And only 8% think it would save them a great deal of money if the government scrapped all their plans to tackle climate change.

When it comes to support for climate action, the majority already thinks they’re in the minority: most people support action, but they assume others don’t. People in the UK underestimate other people’s worry about climate change by 20%.

Climate communicators should avoid further fueling this: the more people talk about a ‘backlash’ the more the ‘backlash’ becomes real.

Key recommendations for policy makers

This report mainly focuses on how we should talk about climate and nature – and how we should not. But communications must also be aligned with policy. During this research, especially in focus groups and narrative workshops, a number of key issues came up again and again.

1. Local infrastructure for local benefits

The overwhelming concern for people across the UK right now is the cost of living. People want climate policies that lower their energy bills. Most people across Britain like or don’t mind seeing renewable energy in their communities, particularly in Scotland and Wales. But any new renewable energy projects will garner significantly more support if they can clearly show the tangible benefits to local people.

As part of its Clean Energy Mission, the Government should explore ways to ensure local renewable energy can be used to lower people’s bills. As changes are being worked out, it should work with local authorities and community energy providers to show people the community benefits such schemes are already bringing to local places.

2. Grasp the solar revolution

Solar panels have the potential to be a powerful symbol of our collective effort and progress. They deliver and represent something important, tangible and visible: clean energy and lower bills. They are a source of pride for those who have them and envy for some who don’t.

Crucially, solar panels are generally seen as a relatively affordable solution that ‘people like me’ have or could have on their homes. People talk about solar on all new homes being a good thing and question why we are not putting them on other buildings and car parks.

There is more work to do to ensure this is a genuinely affordable solution for everyone – and to tell people about this. But stepping up a fast and inclusive roll-out, along with great communication, can help make fair climate policy feel real and positive to all kinds of people across the country.

3. Crack down on pollution – and tell people about it

People want to hear tangible examples of where the Government and policy is changing things for the better and making a difference to things they care about in their daily lives.

Plastic waste, especially single-use plastic bottles, and general rubbish being dumped in beauty spots are significant concerns. Poor quality water in seas and rivers is yet another symbol of the country in decline and the unfairness of big business polluting and ‘getting away with it.’

In contrast, many people are taking environmentally-friendly actions in their daily lives and see this as sensible and normal: we heard about repurposing, buying secondhand, minimizing single-use items, and being mindful of consumption.

By taking bold action to clean up pollution and plastic waste while showing people that this taps into their respect for the planet, we can harness and celebrate environmentally-conscious action.

4. Prioritise genuine engagement

To counter a growing distrust in top-down policy being imposed on people, we need to invest time and money in genuine local engagement. People want to be consulted and asked about changes in their local area. They want this engagement to happen early, so they feel the consultation is genuine, not just a ‘tick box’ exercise. While there is a key role for local authorities here, it’s essential that other trusted local people play a key role.

The Government’s public participation strategy, due to be published later in 2025 could signal a step change. It needs to be backed with an ambitious delivery plan: how can local leaders and trusted community members be supported to supercharge conversations in every part of the country.