Twenty-eighth Report Adapting Institutions to Climate Change Cm ...

when specific measures are necessary. So, for example, whilst the use of sustainable drainage systems
was encouraged in the 2007 Planning Policy Statement on planning and climate change, 36 under
the Flood and Water Management Bill (Schedule 3) construction with drainage implications will
only be possible following approval of the drainage system. The effectiveness of these provisions
will depend on the rigour of the standards set for sustainable drainage, but they indicate how
regulation can be strengthened.
Engaging public support
4.79 Many studies confirm that most members of the public are now very aware of climate change and
express significant concern about the issues. However, survey results also confirm that people do
not understand climate change as an imminent or high-priority personal risk, and that climate
projections are weak tools for promoting action. 37 So how should individuals, the public and
organisations respond to projected major changes in the climate?
4.80
4.81
4.82
4.83
Studies in both the US and the UK have shown that people tend to see climate change as a
problem for others rather than themselves. 38 Researchers have examined potential responses to
different scenarios of rapid climate change and identified a complex set of beliefs amongst the
public. 39 These range from concern, to scepticism, to calls for action, to apprehension. ‘Concern’
was the dominant response, supported by a belief in the role of both individuals and government
in addressing climate change. There was a significant lack of clarity about what this meant in
reality. We have found no evidence in more recent studies of any general increase in levels of
societal concern or understanding, and, importantly, no surveys that report any increase in public
awareness of the need for adaptation. 40
Despite a considerable body of work to test the power of visual images of the consequences of
climate change, and the dissemination of scenarios and probabilities, the literature concludes that
these of themselves are relatively weak tools of persuasion. Indeed, psychological and sociological
research over at least three decades suggests that if people are to be motivated to adapt then they
must feel both imminently threatened and able to take action.
Of course, as individuals we can readily engage with probabilities when faced with an immediate
or imminent personal decision – in healthcare, for example, probabilities are commonly discussed
with patients in relation to treatment choices. But in this context a number of characteristics
of engagement are apparent. First, there is direct one-to-one engagement between a trusted
expert (doctor) and the individual (patient). Second, the decision relates to the direct potential
for short-term or even immediate personal benefit. Such crucial characteristics are missing from
the climate change debate, where experts do not or only rarely interact directly with the public.
Most engagement on climate change happens through intermediaries (local planning officers,
Environment Agency officers, the media, etc.) rather than through climate scientists themselves.
Basically, many people are aware that climate change exists and could be a problem, but they are
not likely to take action in the near future to do anything about it. Clearly this needs to change.
In order to engage public support, institutions responsible for adaptation need to ensure that a
wide range of views are fed into the process in a transparent and inclusive manner. We therefore
welcome the emphasis in Defra’s Consultation on Coastal Change Policy on local participation and
engagement in issues around coastal change, and we look forward to seeing this being brought
into effect. 41
85
Chapter 4