Public engagement with carbon and climate change: To what extent is the public ‘carbon capable’?

Abstract

The relevance of climate change for society seems indisputable: scientific evidence points to a significant
\nhuman contribution in causing climate change, and impacts which will increasingly affect human
\nwelfare. In order to meet national and international greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets,
\nthere is an urgent need to understand and enable societal engagement inmitigation. Yet recent research
\nindicates that this involvement is currently limited: although awareness of climate change is
\nwidespread, understanding and behavioral engagement are far lower. Proposals for mitigative ‘personal
\ncarbon budgets’ imply a need for public understanding of the causes and consequences of carbon
\nemissions, as well as the ability to reduce emissions. However, little has been done to consider the
\nsituated meanings of carbon and energy in everyday life and decisions. This paper builds on the concept
\nof ‘carbon capability’, a term which captures the contextual meanings associated with carbon and
\nindividuals’ abilities and motivations to reduce emissions. We present empirical findings from a UK
\nsurvey of public engagement with climate change and carbon capability, focusing on both individual and
\ninstitutional dimensions. These findings highlight the diverse public understandings about ‘carbon’,
\nencompassing technical, social, and moral discourses; and provide further evidence for the
\nenvironmental value-action gap in relation to adoption of low-carbon lifestyles. Implications of these
\nfindings for promoting public engagement with climate change and carbon capability are discussed.