Things are Hotting Up……..
Understanding the North West Region’s Perceptions of Climate Change
We have recently completed a study for the North West Climate Change Partnership on behalf of the North West Development Agency (NWDA) that aimed to establish and understand the current levels of knowledge and the perceptions held by both businesses and individuals around climate change issues. The NWCCP was established following the publication of the Regional Economic Strategy in 2006, and is charged with delivering the North West’s Climate Change Strategy. The Partnership commissioned this work to inform the development of a new regional Climate Change Communications Strategy which will help people to understand the issues around climate change, and help them to identify what actions they can take to reduce their impact on climate change. The study had 2 key objectives:
- to assess and benchmark the current perceptions of climate change issues held by both the business community and individuals throughout the North West region;
- to identify potential activities that could be developed within the Communications Strategy, that will change people’s behaviours in relation to climate change.
The study involved in-depth consultation with 150 businesses and 400 individuals from across the North West region, conducted over a period of 3 weeks. EKOS collaborated with Research Resource to undertake the telephone interviews. The findings reflected very positively on the region. Notwithstanding the small sample size, there is significant evidence that people of all ages and in all parts of the region are doing some things to tackle climate change, but are aware that there is more that they could do. Further, most people are aware of at least some of the primary causes of climate change, and are also aware of some of the things that they can do to reduce their contribution to climate change. However, the study revealed that whilst people believed climate change to be an important issue, their level of personal concern about it reduced over the longer term.
- The study findings clearly identified four groups within the North West –
- Those people that are doing nothing;
- Those people that are thinking about doing something but haven’t yet done anything;
- Those people that are already doing something but could do more; and
Those people that are doing all that they can to address climate change. These groups formed the basis of a Behavioural Model which has been used to identify potential actions and activities that the NWCCP should consider when developing the Regional Climate Change Communications Strategy, as well as informing the level of resource that needs to be committed.
Overall, this was a regionally important piece of research which will inform a long term regional campaign to address climate change in the North West and help to raise the profile of the North West Climate Change Partnership over the coming years.
Sheffield