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Project Code [2024-CE-1277]
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Project title
Climate Insights and Values in Ireland's Communities
Primary Funding Agency
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Co-Funding Organisation(s)
n/a
Lead Organisation
University of Galway
Lead Applicant
Thomas van Rensburg
Project Abstract
The EPA’s Climate Change in the Irish Mind project highlights the high level of agreement by Irish citizens about the causes and severity of climate change and strong support for action to address this. However, the steps required to mobilise this consensus into meaningful climate change mitigation and adaption efforts in Ireland are not clear. Recent literature on the subject identifies socio-political and market barriers; technological risk; demographic or attitudinal factors; place-based issues or procedural limitations as crucial impediments preventing the public from making noticeable differences in emissions in their daily lives. Engagement in citizen science represents an important way to foster equal opportunities and trust in science and leading to fundamental shifts in behaviour, learning, attitudinal change and quantifiable emissions reductions. All of these topics are very relevant but they are typically considered in isolation. This study underscores the urgent need for their integration and to make explicit the social and economic implications of doing this. In this study, we develop an integrated framework linking technology, stakeholders, place and process (TSPP) which fully connects each of these valuable components and uses citizen science, focus groups/workshops and micro-econometric analysis to illustrate how the framework can be built, monitored and supported in Ireland. The specific objectives of the study are to:
• Identify the market and policy incentives and barriers that enable and inhibit the public from engaging in climate positive behaviour.
• Understand how the public make decisions around climate action and measure the impact of changes in TSPP attributes on these decisions.
• Identify the role of citizen science and climate action groups in diffusing climate knowledge and the barriers and opportunities for engagement.
• Highlight methods to ensure greater justice and equality in climate positive actions and impacts.
Grant Approved
€509,619.96
Research Hub
Addressing Climate Change Evidence Needs
Research Theme
Social science, citizen science and behavioural science for climate action
Initial Projected Completion Date
30/03/2029