Harnessing football fandom to tackle climate change: Lorraine Whitmarsh, MBE is our latest podcast guest
In episode 26 of The Decarbonisation Dialogue, we learn more about how government, business and civil society can work together
Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, environmental psychologist and sustainability expert, believes football fans and their clubs could play a crucial role in climate action.
She has led projects with clubs including Brentford Football Club and serves on the team’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, promoting biodiversity and reducing emissions while engaging fans in sustainable travel and lifestyle choices.
Lorraine is Director of the Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change and Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath. Specialising in environmental psychology, she studies how people perceive and respond to climate change, energy use, and transport. Her research spans energy efficiency, waste reduction, electric vehicle adoption, low-carbon lifestyles, and climate communication.
She is also a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II and regularly advises governments and organisations on low-carbon behaviour change.
In our recent podcast episode of The Decarbonisation Dialogue, Lorraine shared how her early interest in human beliefs - combined with the influence of her father, an environmental economics professor - shaped her dedication to environmental action.
She emphasised the interconnected roles of government, business, and civil society in achieving climate goals.
She said: “It’s very difficult for us to change our lifestyles unless government removes barriers and creates incentives, and unless businesses innovate with low-carbon alternatives.”
Reflecting on receiving her MBE from King Charles, Lorraine recalled:
“I thought it was a hoax at first! It took a while before I believed it. Even now, I wonder if they made a mistake, it was a wonderful recognition of the work of our centre.”
Urgent climate action required
Lorraine is clear about the urgent need for action.
“We have a very small window to avoid the worst risks of climate change. We are already experiencing its effects, extreme weather, rising temperatures, human migration, and disease.”
She also highlighted the scale of the challenge, noting that the UK’s average carbon footprint is 7-8 tonnes per person, but it must drop to around 2.5 tonnes by the end of the decade to meet climate targets.
“We all have to change very profoundly and that is clear from the work that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has put forward. The work of the UK Committee on Climate Change has shown that technology is going to be a big part of the way in which we solve climate change, but changing our behaviour and changing wider society is also absolutely critical.”
We have a very small window to avoid the worst risks of climate change. We are already experiencing its effects, extreme weather, rising temperatures, human migration, and disease.
The role of cost and social influence
Lorraine emphasised that cost remains a key driver in people’s environmental choices.
“Electric vehicles and heat pumps still cost more than the high-carbon alternatives, although those costs are starting to come down. Those cost barriers are an impediment for people to choose those low-carbon technologies. It’s important that government make the low carbon cheaper for us. We need to make it easy for people to do the right thing.”
She also highlighted the role of social influence and research in driving behaviour change. Initiatives like Pledgeball, which engages sports fans in climate action, and projects with local authorities, including Cornwall Council, promote sustainable transport and local food schemes.
“Engaging people through groups they care about, like football, is a creative way to make climate action meaningful.”
Despite the challenges, Lorraine remains optimistic. She notes that while progress has been made in decarbonising energy supply, the “hard work still to be done” lies in changing demand-side behaviours.
Looking ahead, Lorraine’s priorities include securing more funding to expand her research and deepen engagement with communities, sports clubs, and policymakers to accelerate sustainable action across society.
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