SustainNET researchers study the hidden psychological barriers to climate action, design education that equips young people to respond constructively, and use storytelling and the arts to help communities imagine and build sustainable futures. Our researchers can be seen in the psychology lab, the classroom and on the stage and screen.

Uncovering the hidden psychology of climate choices

Identifying the psychological barriers that stop people acting on climate change — including cognitive biases such as optimism bias, and implicit attitudes to low-carbon products that often don’t match what people say they believe. Many climate campaigns are built only around what people say (their explicit attitudes), which may explain why they haven’t worked as well as hoped.

This research is:

  • using eye-tracking to show that implicit (unconscious) attitudes, more than stated attitudes, predict whether shoppers notice carbon labels and choose low-carbon products (e.g. low carbon food) in the moment of decision
  • demonstrating that these implicit attitudes can be changed — and the change sustained — through emotion-based films and creative educational programmes for schoolchildren
  • reframing climate anxiety from a barrier into a positive stimulus for action, explored in Understanding Climate Anxiety (Beattie, 2025, Routledge)
  • shaping international policy and practice through membership of the UN’s International Panel on Behavior Change, and consultancy with organisations including Unilever and the Born Free Foundation

Educating young people for climate action

Testing which teaching methods actually change how children think, feel and act on climate change. As an example, two five-week programmes — one built around creative activities like drama, creative writing and art, the other more traditional classroom teaching — are compared for their effect on children’s knowledge, emotions, attitudes (including unconscious attitudes) and sustainable behaviour.

This research is:

  • comparing creative and traditional approaches to identify what most effectively builds lasting positive environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour in children (e.g. ethical and sustainable food choices).
  • delivering climate change education directly in schools, and developing a training package so more teachers can put the approach into practice.
  • recognised with an Emerging Scholar Award from the international Sustainability Research Network, and runner-up for the Climate Change Champion Award at the Knowsley Education Awards.
  • linked to civic engagement and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) teaching across the University

Telling climate stories that move people to act

Exploring how storytelling, theatre and community television can inform and inspire climate action — and how the shared experience of listening to speculative climate fiction helps people imagine different ways of living together in future worlds.

This research is:

  • researching community-led television with the University of Liverpool, Love Wavertree CIC and the British Academy, including how the television industry tells stories about climate adaptation (read the report)
  • using art activism and critical arts practice to explore the climate crisis, including the short play Three Conversations, commissioned for Climate Change Theatre Action 2019
  • running community listening events with the play Three Sisters: A Story from the Climate Future to spark discussion about local climate futures, with plans to expand to new communities and deepen the arts-based research (How to Live Together)
  • connecting to the Food theme, by revealing the everyday climate action hidden within food choices and routines.

Research Collaboration and Supervision

Get involved  Got a climate communication challenge, a storytelling collaboration, or a student project in mind? Get in touch with the SustainNET team.