Climate Change in the Irish Mind

Latest release:

A new publication, Climate Change in the Irish Mind: Engagement Guidance has been released. This guidance translates insights from the CCIM study into practical advice for anyone communicating or engaging with the public on climate change. The guidance demonstrates how understanding public attitudes can support more effective, inclusive and trusted climate communication in Ireland.

Project Overview

The EPA’s ‘Climate Change in the Irish Mind’ (CCIM) project is conducted in partnership with Yale University’s ‘Programme on Climate Change Communications’ (YPCCC). 
 
The CCIM project serves as the national hub for understanding: 

• Public climate change knowledge 
• Attitudes
• Policy preferences
• Behaviours
• The underlying psychological and cultural factors that influence the public 

The CCIM is carried out as a nationally representative survey every two years. Data on the Irish population is collected via telephone interviews. It is the only large representative climate attitude survey of its type in Ireland. 

Objectives

The aims and objectives of the Climate Change in the Irish Mind study are as follows:

• To establish national-level baselines on attitudes and behaviours to climate change. 
• To identify segments of the Irish population based on responses to climate change issues. 
• To estimate Irish climate change beliefs, attitudes, policy support and behaviour at national, regional, and local levels. 
• To support the development of communications strategies to distribute the research findings. 

Outcomes

  There are two main types of reports from CCIM. These reports are supported by an interactive climate opinions map and engagement guidance publications.

• Main CCIM reports: Provide an overview of information for policymakers and researchers on attitudes and behaviours. 
• Segmentation reports: Divide the population into distinct climate change audiences. Each with individual ways of understanding and reacting to the topic of climate change. 
• Climate opinion maps: To allow for easy exploration of CCIM data on a national, regional and county scale.
• Engagement Guidance translates CCIM findings into practical advice for anyone communicating or engaging with the public on climate change.

The outcomes of the CCIM project can be explored by clicking the links below. Each project has associated infographics and supporting information included: 

 

Engagement Guidance

Climate Change in the Irish Mind: Engagement Guidance This guidance translates quantitative insights from the CCIM study into practical advice for anyone communicating or engaging with the public on climate change. The guidance demonstrates how understanding public attitudes can support more effective, inclusive and trusted climate communication in Ireland.

 

Climate Change in the Irish Mind Wave 2 (2023-2024 )

• 'Climate Change in the Irish Mind Wave 2, Report 1': Provides an overview on the public’s  climate change attitudes, beliefs and behaviours in the second wave of the Climate Change in the Irish Mind study. 
• 'Climate Change's Four Irelands Wave 2, Report 2': Divides the population into distinct climate change audiences with their own ways of understanding and reacting to the topic of climate change. 

Climate Change in the Irish Mind Wave 1 (2021-2022) 

• 'Climate Change in the Irish Mind: Wave 1, Report 1’ (2021): Provides an overview on the public’s  climate change attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. 
• 'Climate Change’s Four Irelands: Wave 1, Report 2' (2022): Divides the population into distinct climate change audiences with different ways of understanding and reacting to the topic of climate change. 
  

Climate Change in the Irish Mind Insight Reports 

Climate Change in the Irish Mind Insight Reports are brief supplementary reports that provide additional insights into the CCIM headline findings. 

Insight Reports Wave 2

• Life Stage: This insight report explores the relationship between your stage in life and attitudes to climate change
• Personal Economy: This insight report explores the links between your personal financial situation, attitudes to climate change policy, and trust in sources of information on climate change
• Climate Literacy: This insight report explores how knowing that humans are the main cause of climate change affects climate literacy, perspectives on climate change, and support for climate policies.
• Engagement with Climate Change: This insight report explores how the public’s engagement with the topic of climate change relates to climate knowledge, support for climate policies, trust in climate change information sources and risk perceptions of climate change.

Insight Reports Wave 1

• Support for Climate Policies: This insight report explores regional support and opposition to climate action policies
• Climate Risk Perceptions: This insight report focuses on climate risk perceptions along demographic lines
  
• Worry about Climate Change impacts: This insight report explores patterns in worry about the impact  of local environmental hazards
• Intention Action Dynamic: This insight report explores the relationships between political and consumer intentions and behaviours in relation to climate change
  

Interactive Climate Opinion maps 

• An interactive mapping tool: Uses the most current Climate Change in the Irish Mind study data at Wave 2 (2023). This allows for exploration of the public’s climate change attitudes, beliefs and behaviours on a national, regional, and county level.

CCIM open data set

Climate Change in the Irish Mind open data: Wave 1 and 2 of the CCIM data is now publicly available for download. To find out more please visit the link.