Title: Sustaining public engagement with addressing climate change and the role of social solutions

Authors: Stephen Axon

Addresses: School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK

Abstract: The impetus for addressing climate change is real and present, yet its translation into action lacks immediacy and severity. While there are a number of existing solutions, there has been an over-reliance on technological responses with minimal attention paid to the role of social solutions. This paper highlights the importance of such approaches and argues that, following the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015, there has been an increase in public engagement with (addressing) climate change that has accorded the issue a higher importance. This transition to higher levels of 'climate engagement' provides an opportunity for social solutions to demonstrate their potential as effective approaches for addressing climate change and the multitude of benefits that can result. The paper concludes with recommendations for sustaining public engagement with social solutions to addressing climate change.

Keywords: climate change; social solutions; behavioural solutions; sustainable lifestyles; community-based carbon reduction strategies; CBCRS; communities; climate engagement; public engagement; sustainability transitions; People's Climate March; Global Climate March; Paris Climate Conference 2015; sustainable development; carbon emissions; CO2; carbon dioxide.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2016.079083

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2016 Vol.8 No.3, pp.185 - 205

Received: 22 May 2015
Accepted: 20 Jan 2016

Published online: 12 Sep 2016 *

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