Examining how trust, responsibility, and expectations shape public engagement with climate policy in a Scottish Context

This session is an independently organised, facilitated pilot exploring how trust, responsibility, and institutional expectations influence public engagement with climate policy in a Scottish context.

While climate strategies often focus on targets, communication, and behavioural incentives, long-term outcomes also depend on the level of public trust in institutions and clarity around who is responsible for different actions within the system.

Rather than debating policy positions or environmental beliefs, the session focuses on understanding how people interpret responsibility in practice, including what they expect from government, industry, infrastructure providers, and individuals themselves.

Participants will be invited to reflect on everyday experiences of public systems, such as transport, energy, housing, services, or consumer environments, and consider how trust, clarity of responsibility, and perceived fairness influence their engagement with climate-related measures.

The purpose of the session is…