Public 'turned off by climate change'

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The public are not being persuaded that lower-carbon lifestyles are worth following, the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) has said in a new report. 'Consumer Power: how the public thinks lower-carbon behaviour could be made mainstream' said that climate change-related communications, products and policies are leaving most people unengaged and "switched off".

People are tired and bored of hearing about climate change despite being aware of it, the report said, and they are cynical about the government's motives in pushing for action on climate, viewing it as a means of increasing taxation or as being hypocritical in light of recent decisions such as allowing the building of the third runway at Heathrow.

The public is also doubtful about the effectiveness of adopting lower-carbon behaviours when other people, companies and countries are still emitting elsewhere, the ippr found, with people resentful of being made to feel guilty about their lifestyles, dismissive of environmentalists and 'green' products as 'smug' and 'self-righteous', and put off by the cost of choosing lower-carbon options.

The report recommended that government, business and campaigners take a new approach if mainstream consumers and not just the environmentally inclined are to adopt lower-carbon lifestyles. For example, people would be far more likely to change their behaviour and use less energy if they thought it could save them money, give them greater control over their energy bills and make them more independent from energy companies.

Simon Retallack, associate director and head of climate change at ippr, said: "Our research suggests that it is possible to engage far more people than the environmental pioneers in adopting lower-carbon behaviours. The time is ripe to take this message beyond the 'usual suspects'.

"Success will lie in convincing consumers that in adopting lower-carbon lifestyles they can have save money and have control in a chaotic world, and they can do the right thing and look good without being an environmentalist. If we can achieve that, while putting the policies in place to ensure that lower-carbon options are affordable, attractive and visible, we will have gone a long way towards mobilising the power of consumers in the battle against climate change."