Engaging the public on climate risks and adaptation

Building on the key findings from a new survey of the British public’s opinion on climate change (British Public Perceptions of Climate Risk, Adaptation Options and Resilience (RESiL RISK)), this briefing outlines a set of seven recommendations for communicators and practitioners working toengage the public on climate risks and adaptation.

As a critical decade for curbing global greenhouse gas emissions gets underway, the climate is already changing, affecting UK citizens and communities in a range of increasingly visible ways. Perhaps understandably, policies and targets for curbing carbon emissions (mitigation) receive more attention from politicians and the media than strategies for building resilience to the impacts of climate change (adaptation). But adaptation policies are now becoming increasingly important in shaping the UK’s response to climate change.

Like policies on mitigation, efforts to adapt to climate risks and build resilience will not succeed unless they are based on an understanding of public attitudes around climate risks and strategies for reducing our vulnerability to them. In addition to the technical, environmental and economic factors underlying decisions about future adaptation options, supportive public opinion - obtaining a social mandate - is crucial. And engagement with individuals and communities (whether these are campaigners, civil society groups or policy makers) on climate risks and adaptation must be grounded in the growing body of social science evidence around the effective communication of climate change and climate risks.