Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations: Climate Change Narratives Survey, 2020

The Climate Change Narratives Survey 2020 is a nationally-representative survey (n=1,518) conducted in November and December 2020 on public perceptions of coronavirus and climate change. The survey extended previous research by systematically comparing perceptions of (personal and government) responsibility, efficacy and trust, as well as support for policies to address the two issues. The survey also used a novel approach to understand the trade-offs between hazards reduction, economic impact and personal freedom people are willing to make. The survey further included two ‘test’ narratives: one exploring respondents’ sense of agency, the other exploring the potential for health messaging to connect experiences of Covid-19 and climate change (See questionnaire for the two narratives). Respondents were asked to highlight which phrases they most strongly liked and disliked, and to explain the reasons for their choices. Data were collected online from 19 November to 12 December 2020 by DJS Research, a market research company. The sample consisted of 48% male and 51% female respondents. 10% were 18-24, 42% were 25-49, 25% were 50-64, and 23% were 65 years of age or over. Fourteen percent (14%) of the sample was from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background.