Thursday 8 October, 10.00-11.30 BST
Adaptation Scotland are co-hosting a webinar with Climate Outreach and researchers from Cardiff University’s ‘Understanding Risk’ team on ‘Engaging the public on climate risk and adaptation – public perceptions in the context of COVID’.
This webinar will bring together the research team from the RESIL RISK project – Prof Nick Pidgeon, Dr. Christina Demski, Dr. Kat Steentjes and Dr. Adam Corner – to discuss pre- and post-COVID survey findings on public perceptions of climate risk and adaptation, and the implications for effective public engagement on these issues.
The RESIL RISK project is a collaboration between Cardiff University and Climate Outreach, as part of the UK Climate Resilience joint programme. The programme draws together UK climate research and expertise to deliver robust, multi- and inter-disciplinary climate risk and adaptation solutions research to ensure the UK is resilient to climate variability and change.
The Cardiff University research team will discuss the overall survey findings and explore the data within this evidence base related particularly to Scotland:
- The original survey, conducted in October 2019 with 1,401 British respondents, examined public perceptions of climate change and its associated impacts, and mapped public support for climate change adaptation and resilience building strategies. The survey results provide evidence for a shift in perceptions among the British public towards greater concern and a general willingness to support steps to address the issue.
- An updated survey was subsequently conducted in August 2020 with approximately 1,100 further British respondents, repeating the core items from the 2019 wave. Initial indications are that the Covid19 crisis has not altered many of the main conclusions to be drawn from the 2019 data, and that public concerns about climate change have not been affected by added concerns and stress associated with the global pandemic and its impacts. In addition, the British public thinks that the economic response to recover from the pandemic should also prioritise climate change.
Dr Adam Corner, Director of Programmes and Research at Climate Outreach, will then present and discuss the implications of these findings for effective communications on climate adaptation and risk. This will cover the seven practical, evidence-based recommendations for achieving effective public engagement to progress on climate adaptation.
This will then be followed by a 30-min Q&A and discussion time.
Register for the webinar: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-perceptions-of-climate-risk-adaptation-in-the-context-of-covid-tickets-122092783803