Table 3 Feedback on the priority areas from the public involvement panel

Public understanding of the health impacts of climate change

 Some of our PPI contributors said their health was already suffering from the effects of climate change. One member had a lung condition that is severely affected by damp weather, when they have to stay on their breathing machine during the day. Contributors said they find it very important that people understand what is happening in their local area in terms of impact and exposure - not just in the future but also right now. They believe that understanding the link between climate change and health may make climate change more relevant to people’s own lives and motivate people to live more sustainably. Knowing where to find help to live more sustainably is also considered important, as is knowing how to keep the damp out of your house, or to keep it cool during summer. Our school-aged contributor pointed out that the link between climate change and health is not covered at GCSE level, even though climate change is a considerable part of the curriculum.

Public acceptability of local climate actions

 Some contributors feel that radical climate action groups are putting people off and making it harder to talk about climate change. They said it would be helpful to focus on health rather than the world at large. Others want LAs to do what is necessary and not always worry about popularity. They also feel that encouragement to live sustainably should come from showing what other people were doing and from showing local progress. Another contributor noted that a lot of decisions on climate change seem to come from central government, and that we should take more responsibility for what we are causing elsewhere in the world.

Budgetary and economic implications of climate action

 PPI contributors advocated a holistic approach. They feel that robust communities can counterbalance health threats and help people live more sustainably. In this context, one contributor pointed out that small actions can have considerable impact: repairing bus shelters quickly, public seating in town centres, public herb gardens. Contributors spoke of the importance of finding a way to harness the power within the communities themselves. They believe that LAs should be monitoring the effects of climate action for the benefit of the community. One said: ‘They should help us, engage with us, collect the right data and make it accessible. Develop the evidence, we need strong evidence!’