Environment and Rural Affairs

In 2009, the Scottish Government passed the Climate Change (Scotland) Act committing Scotland to reducing emissions by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. These targets were among the most ambitious in the world and meeting them will require a greening of the public’s attitudes and, more critically, its behaviour.

Will these targets be met? Are Scots persuaded by the scientific evidence of climate change? Do they accept the need to take action to reduce their carbon footprint? Does their behaviour reflect their attitudes to climate change? How can individuals be encouraged to adapt their lifestyles to reduce their carbon footprints? How far does the public support policy interventions to cut carbon reductions? What are their views on future energy options for Scotland? How do they balance the intrinsic value of Scotland’s countryside and landscape with its social and economic value?

Ipsos MORI hold one of the largest bodies of research on climate change in the UK, and released this in the report Tipping Point or Turning Point: Social Marketing and Climate Change, which focuses on the perspectives of the public – the way they think and behave in relation to climate change, as well as their values and aspirations. The data included has been subsequently updated through a study for Cardiff University which explored public attitudes towards climate change, energy security and renewable energy sources.

Of course, climate change should not overshadow other issues like pollution, biodiversity and the land use management. We undertook the Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey (SEABS’08) for the Scottish Government, and continue to undertake research across a broad range of environmental topic areas using a variety of different methodologies. As well as climate change, these include waste and packaging, sustainable living, and protection of and access to the natural environment.

For more information, please contact Chris Martin.

Current Projects

The Scottish Household Survey (2012-2015)
The new Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2012-2015 - the largest and one of the most complex household surveys in Scotland - was awarded to Ipsos MORI last year. The survey is designed to provide data that is representative of the household and adult populations of Scotland. Conducted in-home and face-to-face, an interview with a householder is followed by an interview with a random adult. Overall, interviews are undertaken at 10,500 households across Scotland per annum, with an overall average interview length of 60 minutes. In over 3,000 of these households, a follow-up physical survey inspection is undertaken by a team of specially trained surveyors. The contract includes the associated preparatory work in 2011, on-going survey and questionnaire development, all fieldwork and the finalisation and delivery of the survey datasets and associated outputs.

For more information, please contact Chris Martin.