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For Good

Accelerating local climate action in the UK

Organisation name: Carbon Copy
Organisation location: United Kingdom
Category:
  • Built Environment
  • Campaigning & advocacy
  • Environment & Ecology
  • Equity, equality & inclusion
  • Energy
  • Health & wellbeing
  • Sustainability
  • Sustainable Development Goals
Type of opportunity:
  • Research
Short summary: Carbon Copy is a UK charity, inspiring big-thinking local climate action to accelerate progress towards a fairer, carbon zero future. To change everything, we need everyone. But let’s face it. Despite the fact that three-quarters (76%) of adults in the UK are concerned about climate change, we have largely failed to touch the hearts of citizens at large. The role that nature and climate plays in our lives and livelihoods has failed to become a driving force behind collective action locally for most people. The research project you would undertake seeks to understand the levers that can tip the balance from attitude to behaviour.
Description:

OPPORTUNITY
Carbon Copy focuses on the power of local action and the potential of local areas to become a focus of climate policy. Because while climate change impacts the entire world, the specific challenges it creates – from flooding to biodiversity loss – manifest locally. Because those activities that drive the problem that create the emissions and destroy our ecosystems – for example, from poor policy decisions or corporate strategy – happen locally. And because most of what will constitute large scale change, at least in the near term, is the spread of ambitious local initiatives.

Our intended audience are not those environmentally driven individuals leading the charge; instead, it is the ‘early majority’ of the population who are on the cusp of making changes, as long as it makes social sense and appeals to their innate sense of fairness. According to Johan Rockstrom (renowned researcher in environmental science), we have a unique opportunity right now to target this receptive early majority of the population, as the most effective way to tip the scales towards dramatically changing our social norms.

AIM
Our aim is to hook up civic society with climate action and empower more people locally to embrace and help lead this fundamental change in how we live together.

RESEARCH OUTPUT
To date, people all over the UK have shared their climate action stories with us and we have published around 1000 initiatives on Carbon Copy. This is a unique collection of first-hand experiences that offer insights on how to bring people together locally in the name of climate action.

Using this original repository, referencing other published research reports and conducting interviews, we would like your help to research and understand the attitudes and preoccupations of the segment of population that could be persuaded to join in these kinds of local initiatives. Who are they, what are their motivations, what messaging would engage them, what kinds of community-led action would influence them? Who among them would have the biggest impact if they joined in?

The output of your research would help us answer these questions.

RESEARCH OUTCOME
Based on this understanding, we will adjust our current communication tactics and messaging to reach this audience more effectively. The 1000 climate action stories and people behind them will not simply inspire others, but lead to similar collective local action elsewhere as they copy what’s working.

Please note the start and completion dates for this research are flexible and we are open to suggestions.

UN Sustainability Development Goals
  • Good Health and Well-Being
  • Affordable and Clean Energy
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Reduced Inequalities
  • Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Climate Action
  • Life Below Water
  • Life on Land
When does the project start? 25/04/2022
Status: In progress
For Good