About the dialogue

The Natural Environment Research Council (UKRI-NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is working with Sciencewise to run a public dialogue exploring what people think is important for the future of atmospheric science in the UK. 

Atmospheric science covers research into the Earth’s atmosphere and how it affects our lives and environment. This includes topics such as weather, climate change, air quality, pollution, and their impacts on human health, nature, and urban environments. It also includes areas such as climate prediction, severe weather forecasting, and environmental monitoring. 

As the UK’s main funder of environmental science, NERC wants to understand how public priorities relate to atmospheric science at local, regional, national and global levels. Through this dialogue, people from a wide range of backgrounds and communities from across the four nations of the UK will have the opportunity to share their views and discuss what matters most to them. 

Alongside wider consultation activities with the research and innovation community, the dialogue findings will form an evidence base to help inform future decision-making in NERC and UKRI. The aim is to ensure the UK continues to have the skills, infrastructure, technologies and research capabilities needed to deliver world-leading environmental science in the years ahead. 

What will the dialogue explore?

The dialogue will consider a range of questions, including:

• What issues matter most to people at local, regional, national and global levels when they think about atmospheric science?
• How do priorities differ across these different scales, and why?
• What do people understand by the term “atmospheric science”?
• How does atmospheric science connect to people’s everyday lives?
• What influences public awareness and understanding of atmospheric science?
• How are atmospheric scientists and their role in informing decision-making perceived by the public?
• Are there differences in views and priorities across different parts of the UK?

The dialogue will be delivered by Hopkins Van Mil, who will run four deliberative workshops during late 2026 alongside an online interactive space. An independent evaluation of the process will be carried out by URSUS Consulting, with a final report expected in March 2027.