From watching to acting: why local conversations matter

Since June, CA-WN has been taking The People’s Emergency Briefing into communities and arranging screenings across West Northamptonshire.

Research from audience surveys now published by CAST, the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, provides powerful evidence that this approach can make a difference.

CAST evaluated thousands of people’s experiences of The People’s Emergency Briefing UK screenings. Its findings show that bringing people together to watch the film, discuss what they have seen and consider what they can do next can help turn concern about climate change and nature loss into civic and community action.

People leave informed – and motivated

The results are striking. 89% of attendees said they felt more informed and 87% felt more motivated to act after seeing the film.

This was true even though most attendees were already very concerned about climate change and nature loss. The proportion describing themselves as extremely worried about climate change rose from 68% before the film to 83% afterwards. Concern about nature loss rose from 68% to 80%.

The film also helped people understand how climate and nature breakdown could affect everyday life – from food prices and health to energy bills, jobs, insurance, transport and national security.

But the film is only part of the story

For CA-WN, perhaps the most encouraging finding is the importance of what happens after the film.

CAST found that people who spent longer engaged with the event were more likely to intend to discuss climate and nature with others, contact a political representative or get involved in local activities. Those intending to get involved in local activities increased from 54% to 65% among people spending longer at the events.

That underlines the value of bringing people together locally, watching the film collectively and creating time for discussion about what it means for our own communities.

CAST specifically recommends in-person events that allow people to discuss, reflect and decide what they can do next. The researchers suggest that this facilitated discussion may be particularly important in turning environmental concern into collective, civic and political action.

Why CA-WN is continuing to take the film to our communities

The research also found that places with more screenings tended to have higher levels of political engagement, although CAST rightly stresses that this does not prove that screenings directly caused the action.

For CA-WN, the message is nevertheless clear: local conversations matter.

A national climate and nature emergency can feel overwhelming. But bringing the evidence into our towns and villages gives people the opportunity to understand the issues, share their concerns, meet others and explore what can be done together.

But The People’s Emergency Briefing is only a starting point. The real opportunity comes when communities start talking and decide to act, making
government:
• recognise that the Genie is out of the bottle,
• break out of business-as-usual,
• brief the nation and
• launch a bold, ambitious national project

Until then do find your local People’s Emergency Briefing event, spread the word, join and get more signatures to the Parliamentary Petition before it closes on 20 November 2026.