Research grant awarded to CDR members

A research team including several CDR members was awarded £24,329 for a 5-month pilot project entitled "A behavioural science approach for evaluating communications about climate-related risks and uncertainties" from the Models To Decisions Network sponsored by ESRC, EPSRC, NERC, and AHRC (see http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/models2decisions/).

The team involves Astrid Kause, Andrea Taylor, and Wandi Bruine de Bruin (PI) from the Centre for Decision Research and the Leeds University Business School, as well as Suraje Dessai and Piers Forster at the School of Earth and Environment, and project partners at the Met Office. The project description appears below.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A behavioural science approach for evaluating communications about climate related risks and uncertainties

In the UK, the greatest threats from climate change include heavy rainfall and flooding. Flood damage to UK businesses and communities cost as much as £1 billion per year. Yet, preparedness for climate change seems low among stakeholders from industry and government organisations. Possibly, communications about climate change projections and associated uncertainty are too complex. They include data visualisations or graphs that do not appear to be designed for individuals without a background in climate science. Therefore, we will conduct interviews in which end users from industry and government will be asked to view commonly used climate data visualisations. For each, we will identify variations in interpretations, potential misunderstandings, and suggestions for improvement. Hence, our findings will help to improve communications about climate projections to end users, as produced by the UK Met Office and similar agencies. Our project builds on a multi-disciplinary collaboration between an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Leeds and climate service providers at the UK Met Office.