Climate change - public engagement strategy: mid-point review
The climate change public engagement strategy committed to a review at the mid-point of delivery. The review provides a summary of activities delivered since the publication of the strategy, reflects on the approach being taken and recommends improvements to achieve objectives in future delivery.
2. Context
When reviewing progress towards the objectives of the PES it is important to recognise that the initiatives supported and delivered by the Scottish Government under this strategy take place within a much broader, highly diverse landscape of messaging and activity relating (both directly and indirectly) to climate change. As well as contributing to this wider discourse, the PES must also operate within it, by being aware of, and responding to, shifting public attitudes towards climate change.
At the start of the PES delivery period, in Spring 2022, the Scottish Government commissioned a survey to provide an up-to-date snapshot of Scottish public attitudes relating to each of the three key pillars of the PES. In relation to the ‘Understand’ pillar, over half (58%) of the respondents felt that they knew at least “a fair amount” about climate change at that time, with just 4% saying they didn’t know anything about it. However, a large minority (38%) stated that they only knew “a little bit”, and only around one in ten (12%) were confident enough to say that they know “a lot” about climate change. Under the ‘Participate’ pillar, when asked the extent to which respondents agreed or disagreed that they have the opportunity to influence decisions the Scottish Government is making about climate change, only 27% of respondents agreed. Over two fifths of respondents (42%) disagreed with this statement, with just under a quarter (23%) strongly disagreeing. Finally, in relation to the ‘Act’ pillar, around four in 10 (39%) respondents believed it was difficult for members of the public to find opportunities to get involved in climate action, and less than a quarter (23%) believed it was easy to do so.
The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) currently provides the most robust Scotland-level data on public attitudes towards climate change over time. The PES identifies three indicators from the SHS to monitor Scottish public awareness and understanding of the climate emergency and the actions they can take. As shown in the table below, at the time of the publication of the PES, the most up-to-date SHS data suggested over two-thirds (68%) of adults in Scotland agreed that climate change is an immediate and urgent problem. In terms of climate action, over half (58%) believed their behaviour and lifestyle contribute to climate change, and almost three-quarters (74%) agreed that they understand the actions they should take to help tackle climate change. More recent SHS data is now available[1] and shows an increase in all three indicators, suggesting increases in levels of concern about, personal responsibility for, and understanding of climate change amongst adults in Scotland.
| Indicator | Baseline | Update |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of people agreeing that climate change is an immediate and urgent problem | 68% (2019) | 74% (2023) |
| Percentage of people who believe their behaviour and everyday lifestyle contribute to climate change | 58% (2018) | 66% (2022) |
| Percentage of people agreeing that they understand what actions they should take to help tackle climate change | 74% (2018) | 80% (2022) |
Source: Scottish Household Survey
The high levels of public concern about climate change indicated by the SHS data is supported by findings from other recent surveys of public attitudes towards climate change in Scotland and the UK. For example, Consumer Scotland’s 2022/23 ‘Consumers and the transition to net zero’[2] survey found that over three-quarters of consumers in Scotland (77%) are concerned about climate change. Similarly, in the most recent wave of the UK Government’s climate attitudes tracker[3], 80% of (UK-wide) survey respondents said they were very or fairly concerned about climate change. Although, the data also shows a gradual decline in concern over the past three years, falling from 85% in Autumn 2021.
The evidence relating to taking action on climate change is less consistent and more complex to interpret. Whilst the latest SHS found that 80% of people agreed that they understand the actions they should take to help tackle climate change, this a self-reported measure and is not a reliable measure of whether people actually have an accurate understanding of the most effective actions they can take. There is evidence to suggest that some people may be overestimating the positive impact of some actions, particularly recycling.[4]
To improve the availability of good quality data on Scottish attitudes and behaviours relating to climate change, the Scottish Government has recently commissioned a new Scottish Climate Survey. This is a survey of over 4,000 randomly selected adults in Scotland covering perspectives and experiences of a wide range of climate change mitigation and adaptation issues. Questions have been specifically designed to gauge public understanding of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions, as well as to better understand levels of trust of different sources of information on climate change and perceptions around participation in local decision-making processes. A report of findings from the survey is due to be published in April 2025.