Nuffield: Strategic Fund

For over 20 years, Climate Outreach has worked at the intersection of climate change, public engagement and social justice. We are a team of social scientists and communication specialists with a strong track record of research-led work on how people understand climate change, fairness, and policy change – and how these perceptions shape public consent, resistance and political feasibility.

Our core expertise lies in understanding how climate policies are experienced by different groups, particularly those who are often marginalised or overlooked in policy design. We have led pioneering research on public perceptions of fairness, just transition narratives, and the values that underpin trust in climate action. This includes extensive qualitative research with communities affected by changes to housing, energy, transport and local environments, as well as work on climate, inequality and migration.

Within a partnership, Climate Outreach could contribute in several complementary ways. We can support the design and delivery of participatory and qualitative research, helping to surface lived experiences of climate policies and their impacts. We can translate complex policy and economic analysis into accessible narratives and insights that resonate with different audiences, including policymakers, practitioners and the wider public. We can also support impact strategies, ensuring that research findings inform public debate, policy design and implementation in ways that strengthen legitimacy and equity.

We are particularly interested in collaborating with academic partners and civil society organisations working on climate policy, labour markets, welfare, education, or local and regional inequalities. We bring a strong collaborative ethos, experience of working in multidisciplinary teams, and a shared commitment to rigorous, impactful research that helps deliver a fairer transition to net zero.

We would welcome conversations with potential partners who see value in combining robust policy analysis with deep insight into public attitudes, engagement and lived experience. Please get in touch with Zoe Macalphine, Chief Income Officer, by 2 March at zoe.macalpine@climateoutreach.org.