In the UK, the energy we use in our homes and for personal transport
is responsible for almost half of the country's carbon dioxide
emissions. The active participation of the public in solutions is
therefore critical to reducing the country's overall contribution to
climate change. This report examines ways to enable and persuade
people to act, suggesting policies, techniques and communications
approaches for promoting behaviour change.

Barely a week goes by without a press headline warning us of the
dangers we face from climate change. Behind the stories, real people
are already being hit, with climate change now killing 150,000 people
a year. The technological solutions to prevent it from becoming much
worse already exist. The challenge is to make the transition to them
in time to avoid dangerous climate change.

Some of the changes needed to make that transition will be achieved
entirely through regulations that largely affect industry. Others
will require individuals to choose to behave differently. In the UK,
the energy we use in our homes and for personal transport is
responsible for 44 per cent of the country's carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions. Engaging with the public is therefore critical to reducing
the country's overall contribution to climate change.

Engaging the public will not only benefit the climate: helping
individuals to use energy more efficiently and be less reliant on
fossil fuels will also help government meet its other energy policy
objectives of increasing energy security and reducing fuel poverty.
More broadly, empowering people to exert control and resolve problems
for themselves is a good in its own right: improving governance,
deepening democracy and rebuilding trust.

Read more via the link below:
www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=541.