A collaboration between Cardiff, Manchester, York and East Anglia Universities, and charity Climate Outreach, the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) will work closely with industry, local/national governments and charities to tackle climate change. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

The Centre will formally start on 1 May 2019 and is initially funded for five years. Further funding for the Centre beyond 2024 will be subject to a later decision by the ESRC.

The Centre has already partnered with academics in China, Brazil and Sweden to share findings and ideas as to how to push for international progress on addressing climate change. There will be a strong practical focus, along with experiments in approaches to bringing about social change at all levels of society, applying behaviour change techniques designed to break people’s habits and encourage more active travel. Working with charities, the team will trial practical interventions at the community level to reduce household emissions and with industry partners to shape sustainable workplace practices.

Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh of Cardiff University, the new Centre’s director, said: “While there is now international momentum on action to tackle climate change, it is clear that critical targets, such as keeping global temperature rise to well within 2°C relative to pre-industrial levels, will be missed without fundamental transformations across all parts of society.

“At the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations we recognise that climate change is an emergency that requires action on a far greater scale than has been seen so far. We will address the fundamental question of how we can live differently and better, in ways that meet the need for these systemic, deep and rapid emission reductions.”

Establishing a programme of social science research that places the role of people at the heart of the transformations needed to bring about a low-carbon, sustainable society, the Centre will focus on four challenging areas of everyday life that contribute substantially to climate change, but which have proven stubbornly resistant to change. These include consumption of goods and physical products, food and diet, travel, and heating/cooling in buildings.

Working closely with members of the public to develop workable visions of a low-carbon future, the Centre also aims to develop responses to climate change that emphasise parallel benefits in other areas of life, for example through promoting wellbeing and cleaner air by moving away from a reliance on cars.

As the recent ‘yellow vest’ (‘mouvement des gilets jaunes’) protests in France have shown, policies for tackling fossil fuels can run into vocal opposition if they are seen as unfair or not in line with people’s needs. As such, it is essential to understand how to change society in new and compelling ways. Researchers will do this by working closely with members of the public, establishing a citizen’s assembly and a young people’s panel to ensure key public concerns are a central part of the Centre.  

“The growing school strikes movement in the UK and across the world show that young people are deeply concerned about lack of action on climate change and the impacts they will face in their own lives. We will listen carefully to their views and help convey these to policy-makers, together with concrete recommendations for change,” said Whitmarsh.

As well as looking to the future, the Centre sets out to learn lessons from past and ongoing changes that have occurred across societies.

Whitmarsh added: “The public health success of reducing smoking rates shows that changing regulations and incentives, along with support from health practitioners, can lead to major shifts in culture and people’s behaviour.

“Research has shown that changes to people’s diets and food production could likewise achieve large-scale reductions in emissions as well as significant health benefits, particularly through reducing consumption of meat and dairy. It will take sustained and intelligent approaches to move forwards in ways that are not dismissed by the wider public or seen as unrealistic by policy makers.”

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, said: “Achieving a low-carbon future is only possible if we all play our part. As a government we recognise the enormity of the challenge, but we will not shirk from it. Today I’m launching ‘Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales’, which sets out how the Welsh government plans to reduce carbon emissions. I’m delighted that alongside this, Cardiff University will lead the establishment of this new research centre.”

A collaboration between Cardiff, Manchester, York and East Anglia Universities, and charity Climate Outreach, the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) will work closely with industry, local/national governments and charities to tackle climate change. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

The Centre will formally start on 1 May 2019 and is initially funded for five years. Further funding for the Centre beyond 2024 will be subject to a later decision by the ESRC.

The Centre has already partnered with academics in China, Brazil and Sweden to share findings and ideas as to how to push for international progress on addressing climate change. There will be a strong practical focus, along with experiments in approaches to bringing about social change at all levels of society, applying behaviour change techniques designed to break people’s habits and encourage more active travel. Working with charities, the team will trial practical interventions at the community level to reduce household emissions and with industry partners to shape sustainable workplace practices.

Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh of Cardiff University, the new Centre’s director, said: “While there is now international momentum on action to tackle climate change, it is clear that critical targets, such as keeping global temperature rise to well within 2°C relative to pre-industrial levels, will be missed without fundamental transformations across all parts of society.

“At the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations we recognise that climate change is an emergency that requires action on a far greater scale than has been seen so far. We will address the fundamental question of how we can live differently and better, in ways that meet the need for these systemic, deep and rapid emission reductions.”

Establishing a programme of social science research that places the role of people at the heart of the transformations needed to bring about a low-carbon, sustainable society, the Centre will focus on four challenging areas of everyday life that contribute substantially to climate change, but which have proven stubbornly resistant to change. These include consumption of goods and physical products, food and diet, travel, and heating/cooling in buildings.

Working closely with members of the public to develop workable visions of a low-carbon future, the Centre also aims to develop responses to climate change that emphasise parallel benefits in other areas of life, for example through promoting wellbeing and cleaner air by moving away from a reliance on cars.

As the recent ‘yellow vest’ (‘mouvement des gilets jaunes’) protests in France have shown, policies for tackling fossil fuels can run into vocal opposition if they are seen as unfair or not in line with people’s needs. As such, it is essential to understand how to change society in new and compelling ways. Researchers will do this by working closely with members of the public, establishing a citizen’s assembly and a young people’s panel to ensure key public concerns are a central part of the Centre.  

“The growing school strikes movement in the UK and across the world show that young people are deeply concerned about lack of action on climate change and the impacts they will face in their own lives. We will listen carefully to their views and help convey these to policy-makers, together with concrete recommendations for change,” said Whitmarsh.

As well as looking to the future, the Centre sets out to learn lessons from past and ongoing changes that have occurred across societies.

Whitmarsh added: “The public health success of reducing smoking rates shows that changing regulations and incentives, along with support from health practitioners, can lead to major shifts in culture and people’s behaviour.

“Research has shown that changes to people’s diets and food production could likewise achieve large-scale reductions in emissions as well as significant health benefits, particularly through reducing consumption of meat and dairy. It will take sustained and intelligent approaches to move forwards in ways that are not dismissed by the wider public or seen as unrealistic by policy makers.”

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, said: “Achieving a low-carbon future is only possible if we all play our part. As a government we recognise the enormity of the challenge, but we will not shirk from it. Today I’m launching ‘Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales’, which sets out how the Welsh government plans to reduce carbon emissions. I’m delighted that alongside this, Cardiff University will lead the establishment of this new research centre.”