Sam Hampton

Hairdressers as ‘everyday influencers’ on climate change and sustainability

For those who have a narrow view of which jobs can help tackle the climate crisis, here's a report on hairdressers in sustainable salons and the conversations they have with customers.
cast.ac.uk/wp-content/u...
By @brionylatter.bsky.social and @samhampton.bsky.social

✦✦ So true — conversations with our hairdressers matter. New paper from @brionylatter.bsky.social & @samhampton.bsky.social shows how everyday interactions shape climate thinking ✂️🌍

➡️ Link in comments ✦✦

Front cover of journal article

Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers

⭐New paper!⭐ Two research projects exploring the influence that hairdressers—as widespread professionals in conversational spaces—have w/ clients about climate & sustainability.

doi.org/10.1057/s415...

A graphic with the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations logo at the top left. Large text reads ‘We are hiring!’. Below, text states: ‘Position: Research Fellow. Institution: University of Bath. Deadline: Monday, March 16th.’ A blue button at the bottom left says ‘Apply now’. The CAST logomark, a multicoloured circular line of patterns appear on the right side.

CAST job opportunity: Join us as a Research Fellow at our centre hub, the University of Bath, leading a programme of quantitative behavioural research to advance understanding of climate-relevant behaviour change & life choices. 📣

Deadline: 16 March 2026

Apply now 👇
www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy...

Understanding and addressing public resistance to ambitious climate policies The University of Bath Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change is inviting applications for the following funded PhD project commencing September 2026.

New CAST & ISCC PhD studentship at the University of Bath: "Understanding and addressing public resistance to ambitious #ClimatePolicies". 📣

You'll have the opportunity to work with our CAST Director Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE & affiliate, Dr Sam Hampton.

Deadline: 18th March 2026 📆

Apply now 👇

👉 Which problem framing resonates more with you?
👉 And what does that mean for the solutions you think are realistic or desirable?

I think the value of this is not to decide who is right or wrong, but to notice the assumptions we and others bring to research, policy, and practice.

I then ask the room to vote. Unsurprisingly, the outcome is quite different amongst different cohorts. The Engineers I teach tend to agree with the first problem framing, whereas Geographers usually subscribe to the second.

Framing 2:
Climate change is a human–nature problem.

It reflects deeper patterns in how we extract, consume, and relate to the natural world.
Net zero alone won’t fix biodiversity loss, inequality, or resource depletion.

Framing 1:
Climate change is a greenhouse gas problem.

It’s fundamentally about pollution.
Cut emissions as fast as possible.
Try to solve everything else at the same time and we get tied up in arguments and achieve very little.

What problem are we actually trying to solve when we talk about climate change?

I ask this every year in my first energy systems lecture.

It usually splits the room.

Measuring carbon capability beyond the carbon footprint - Communications Sustainability Most United Kingdom residents show limited ability to act on climate change, especially in transport, food, and civic life. A new method measures both personal habits and public efforts to reveal who…

A new paper on "Measuring carbon capability beyond the carbon footprint" has been published, led by Alisa Ghura, alongside CAST's Dr Sam Hampton & Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE.

It argues for going beyond consumption to recognise influence, roles, and the capacity to shape systems.

Read the paper 👇

@yasminsachdev.bsky.social

Yes, and Steve is part of the research team. Absolutely, we need leaders with integrity and so be willing to talk about their own behaviours, or indeed the struggles of low carbon living

Why do people support or oppose bike lanes? Our research sheds light on public opinion Research suggests that more consultation about cycle lanes would bring more support for them.

Why do people support or oppose bike lanes? 🤔🚲

In an article for The Conversation UK, CAST's Prof Wouter Poortinga (@wouterpoortinga.bsky.social) sheds light on public opinion of bike lanes, referencing his study of UK-based tweets about cycle lanes and LTNs from 2018-2022.

Read the article 👇

And on that, we also need high profile leaders to demonstrate personal commitment to low carbon living. We’re also working on this! leadership.climate.ox.ac.uk

@lwhitmarsh.bsky.social @bath-iscc.bsky.social

Measuring carbon capability beyond the carbon footprint - Communications Sustainability Most United Kingdom residents show limited ability to act on climate change, especially in transport, food, and civic life. A new method measures both personal habits and public efforts to reveal who ...

Personal carbon footprints are useful — but they tell a very incomplete story about individual climate action.

Our new paper argues for going beyond consumption to recognise influence, roles, and the capacity to shape systems.

Open access: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Measuring carbon capability beyond the carbon footprint - Communications Sustainability Most United Kingdom residents show limited ability to act on climate change, especially in transport, food, and civic life. A new method measures both personal habits and public efforts to reveal who ...

New, by Alisa Ghura @samhampton.bsky.social & @lwhitmarsh.bsky.social
Most UK residents act as though they have limited capacity to cut emissions. A new method maps habits and public efforts to show who can drive change.
@bath-iscc.bsky.social@ecioxford.bsky.social 🧪

www.nature.com/articles/s44...

#ClimateAction #NetZero #SMEs #Sustainability

Our open-access paper with colleagues Will Eadson, Richard Blundel, Andrea Byfuglien, Katherine Sugar, Hannah Bamford, @brionylatter.bsky.social & Ben Hardy-Jones explores this in more depth

Curious what others think: have we missed any roles for meaningful business climate action? 💬

These roles aren’t just for big corporates. Every business, whatever its size or sector, can find itself in this framework.

But if we want businesses to step up, we need markets, regulators and policymakers to make it easier for them to act.

1️⃣ **Consumer** – cut your own emissions
2️⃣ **Enabler** – offer low-carbon products or services
3️⃣ **Influencer** – shape expectations and norms
4️⃣ **Citizen** – engage in place-based and civic initiatives
5️⃣ **Investor** – direct finance toward positive climate outcomes

Small and medium-sized businesses tell us they feel overwhelmed: too many acronyms, standards, and schemes competing for attention. Where do you start?

To cut through the noise, we reviewed the research on business climate action and distilled it into 5 clear roles any business can play 👇

Most businesses want to do something about climate change, but few are doing it fast enough, or in ways that match the scale of the challenge.

At the same time, fear of being accused of greenwashing has led to greenhushing - companies going quiet about their efforts altogether.

To kick off, a study by Hettie Moorcroft, @samhampton.bsky.social and @lwhitmarsh.bsky.social, handled by @mfair.bsky.social:

"Climate change and wealth: understanding and improving the carbon capability of the wealthiest people in the UK"

🔗 journals.plos.org/climate/arti...

#PLOSClimateCountdown

Climate change and wealth: understanding and improving the carbon capability of the wealthiest people in the UK Author summary Using survey data and in-depth interviews with wealthy individuals, this research finds that despite their high consumption-based emissions, wealthy people have significant potential…

We are proud to see our CAST journal article on: Climate change and wealth: understanding and improving the carbon capability of the wealthiest people in the UK, featured in PLOS Climate's top 10 list for papers which have been in the headlines over recent months. 📰

Read the article 👇

@bmj.com, a renowned health journal, slams car bloat:

"Cars are becoming steadily larger, [and] with this comes potential harms to health...Action is needed locally, nationally, and internationally to curb sales of new SUVs and to reduce their presence in urban areas."

www.bmj.com/content/391/...

Brilliant new ad campaign I just spotted at the Southwark tube station in London.