Portfolio of Projects and Research
Climate change is an anthropogenic problem – caused by human decisions and behaviours and therefore the solutions for mitigation, adaptation and resilience rest upon human thoughts, emotions, behaviours and group actions. For years, politicians looked to natural science to understand why and how the global climate was changing and what to expect in future, and economics to understand the costs of addressing the problems it was causing. Behavioural and social scientists long lobbied for attention to be paid to the psychological, behavioural, social and cultural causes, consequences and solutions. Yet it’s only in the past 15 years that governments have started to realise that they have mistakenly overlooked the human dimension of the climate crisis. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) only officialised the integration of social science into its formal frameworks in 2010, e.g. the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010) including social protection, gender-responsive approaches and indigenous/local knowledge.
Before the UN officialised the key role of behavioural science in addressing the climate crisis, I was ahead of the game. Between 2012-2013, I wrote up my ideas about how this could be done regarding urban resilience in my first book: Social Sustainability, Climate Resilience and Community-Based Urban Development: What About the People? (Routledge 2018). It used a social and behavioural science, public health and public policy conceptual framework to argue that the psychosocial and behavioural components of socially sustainable communities are intrinsically similar and connected to those of socially resilient communities affected by climate change, and that the social and physical dimensions of resilience must be addressed together. Get the social sustainability (social capital, social cohesion and equity) of communities strong in non-extraordinary times, then social resilience will automatically start to develop through pre-, during, and post- environmental and climate disaster scenarios. The resulting product was a ‘socially-aware planning framework’ and a set of co-design recommendations to support urban developments and design processes aimed at enhancing social resilience. The Paris Agreement (2015) then rubberstamped the importance of behavioural analyses by emphasising ‘human systems’, ‘social resilience’ and ‘gender-responsive climate action’.
I have since developed my expertise more broadly as a behavioural and social analyst and consultant on the human dimensions of climate change in a diverse range of global contexts using my interdisciplinary approach (see here). I integrate consideration of psychological, behavioural, social and cultural factors into government and United Nations programmes to address human factors in climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience, and just transitions. I have a specialism in environmental psychology (human-environment relations), understanding how the environments we live, work, play and relax in shape our thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and what motivates people to take action to protect or conserve environments and climates, derive benefits from the environment and climate, and respond to environmental and climatic risks. I act as a behavioural and social designer by conceiving of a theoretical (scientific) basis for the behavioural/social components of programmes and implement them, whether in the form of research studies, data collection and analyses functions, or behaviour change models , strategies and techniques, or group co-design and participation, information and training workshops to familiarise government, programme and staff experts, media and communities with the critical nature of building in behaviour change and social and cultural dimensions of climate change awareness raising and mechanisms from the start.
EU Green Economic Recovery Facility – Expertise France, Behaviour Science Expert
I have been Behaviour Science Expert on an EU-funded programme, the EU Green Economic Recovery Facility run by the French government’s development agency, Expertise France, to support the government of Sri Lanka to transition from an industrial economy to an ecological, environmental sustainability-oriented one, harnessing green resources, industrial and financial management structures and strategies, and developing robust general and intervention-specific approaches. I designed a Behaviour Change Support Package, including a behaviour change programme theory and set of methods, and a macro-to-micro behavioural influences tool to help staff map all the factors that may influence target group (government, industrial and financial sector staff, media, experts and communities) outlooks and behaviour towards environmental sustainability and climate change. It also included a step-by-step behaviour change process with an intervention-specific process wheel to make the practical steps and stages of behaviour change clear to non-specialists.
I led a 2-hour training workshop introducing behavioural science and using the Behaviour Change Support Package to staff, consultants and civil servants. I embedded behaviour change theories and techniques into policy influencing, expert training courses and sessions, e.g. for Sri Lanka’s rubber industry to learn to adhere to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the programme’s media and communications strategy, and interventions such as the transformation of Sri Lanka’s industrial parks to eco-industrial parks. I also integrated behavioural science and behaviour change functions into Terms of Reference (ToRs) for separate interventions, strategies, intervention designs and recruitment profiles.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Air Pollution Exposure and Psychological and Behavioural Effects on Migrants – an IOM Report
I was asked to develop a proposition paper on the influence of actual and perceived poor urban and peri-urban air quality/air pollution in North Macedonia on different categories of migrants inside the country and their thoughts, emotions/feelings and behaviours in response. Due to the lack of relevant research coverage of the topic, and the global implications of this, the project evolved as a full-scale, global, systematic literature review which eventuated in an analysis of 68 peer-reviewed academic studies on general population and migrant exposure to air pollution in cities around the world.
From the review, I developed an official report for IOM to set out eight areas of everyday human thought, emotions, and behaviour affected by air pollution and how, and a review of the health impacts of air pollution. For IOM only, I devised an ideal type mixed methods study design to research this topic in any location. New insights were generated by applying existing knowledge of migrant populations to the scientific findings of the review to produce insights into how air pollution exposure impacts migrants’ psychological and behaviour responses and health outcomes.
I then hired and led a team of contributing authors to support me in developing the report, including a clinical psychologist (Dr Patrick Rawstorne, University of New South Wales), social psychologist (Yana Nikolva, PhD student) and four junior researchers, as well as working with an international development governance specialist (Dr William Avis, University of Birmingham). Around 75% of the team and supporting contributors are disabled, and/or neurodivergent, and or have a chronic illness. Between us, we addressed the deep complexities of this enormous subject, generated actionable policy recommendations for IOM and other agencies addressing the global air quality crisis in specific relation to this vulnerable sub-population, and future research directions to build on this work. The report is due out later in 2026.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green Financing Facility, North Macedonia
I was Principal Investigator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a climate change-driven, mixed methods study in North Macedonia, The Green Financing Facility. The study investigated the motivational factors or the behavioural enablers and barriers to household decision-makers deciding to take out green loans to install energy efficiency solutions and renewable energy solutions. The study comprises a large cross-sectional survey, focus groups and key informant interviews to understand the perspectives of seven key groups: single parent-headed households, female-headed households, returning migrants, remittance recipients, people with disabilities, Roma and other vulnerable ethnic groups and employees with Covid-19; and also government ministers and UNDP staff. The research revealed the main barriers and enablers, and key psychological and social motivational factors of taking positive action to reduce the use of unsustainable energy and switch to clean fuel sources, and to protect their livelihoods, family health and the environment/mitigate climate change, as well as barriers to action, and a range of other attitudes, perceptions and beliefs.
Behavioural Change Communications Strategy
Using the quantitative and qualitative study data as underpinning evidence, I designed and wrote a Behaviour Change Communications Strategy to inform a public information, engagement, and media campaign by banks in North Macedonia to promote uptake of UNDP’s ‘performance-based payment subsidies’ scheme. The Strategy was underpinned by two psychology theories: ‘diffusion of innovation theory’, ‘social practice theory’ (and a little theory from the Integrated Framework for Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behaviour/IFEP), and a model of home-based, family counselling using storytelling and negotiation of norm changes using a ‘Nudge’ approach for behaviour change: ‘Timed and Targeted Counselling/TTC’ (adapted from World Vision’s TTC for maternal and child health and nutrition).
The driver for the green ‘performance-based payments subsidy’ was that air pollution in North Macedonia is at critical levels from the burning of unsustainable sources of fuel such as at coal fired power stations, and the domestic use of burning coal and biomass for cooking and heating. This results in large amounts of GHGs being emitted and contributing to climate change, and detrimental health impacts on the population. By encouraging the people of North Macedonia to apply for the subsidies and adopt and install clean energy generation technologies and home insulation solutions, this programme supported them to adapt to the changing climate by make behaviour changes that permanently altered the way they are supplied with and consume energy, thereby mitigating CO2 emissions. This project supported the Government of North Macedonia’s National Plan for Clean Air as well as the Government of North Macedonia’s mitigation-related commitments to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It contributed directly towards the SDGs 7 (7.a), 10 (10.2 and 10.7) and SDG 13 (13.2) and UNSDCF Outcome 3 (3.1).
Cities and Infrastructure for Economic Growth – Climate Change Lead, Results, Monitoring and Learning Contract
I was Climate Change Lead on the Results, Monitoring and Learning (RML) Contract of the UK government’s Department of International Development (Ministry of Overseas Aid) / DfID)’s Cities and Infrastructure for Economic Growth (CIG) programme. This contracted operated from 2019-2021 in Zambia, Uganda, and Myanmar, and saw the provision of technical and development assistance to governments in the sectors of urban planning, renewable energy, finance and infrastructure. My objective was to ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation (including resilience) were ‘mainstreamed’ into all technical assistance and spin-off projects so that the maximum carbon reduction and climate preparedness were achieved within the programme’s life cycle. I devised original conceptualisations of climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience for the programme’s M&E programme, and worked with the International Climate Finance Key Performance Indicators.
‘Social Sustainability, Climate Resilience and Community-Based Urban Development: What About the People?‘ World Resources Institute, Washington DC
I did extensive research on community resilience (as part of adaptation) to climate change in 21 urban settings in 14 countries globally for my book (a post-doctoral project whilst I was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford) as part of a desire to understand the social and human aspects and effects of climate change. This was borne out of frustration with the domination of climate policy and strategy by economists and natural scientists. My contention was that whilst it is critical to know and grow knowledge on the processes and outcomes of climate change, and its impact on the global economy and economic growth, the human dimension – the thoughts, emotions behaviours, and psychological and behavioural processes which both shape our contribution to global warming, and steps we must take to mitigate/manage it – is sorely neglected in the policy world.
This research, with Dr Robin King of the World Resources Institute (workload split: Mungall-Baldwin 85%, King: 15%), led to the production of a ‘socially-aware planning framework’ for city policy-makers, urban developers, architects and others looking to create physically resilient cities to ensure that cities can support social resilience too. The large number of case studies (21) which informed the research also generated a manifesto of recommendations to support these stakeholders in this endeavour. The book has received many positive reviews. The recommendations have been implemented by the City of Maroochydore, Australia, in development plans for a new Central Business District, work undertaken by Royal Haskoning engineering consultancy, and the Brazilian NGO, Catalytic Communities, see here and here. It has been commended during conversations with the World Bank Social Resilience Programme, Unicef, the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars (Washington DC), and the UN’s Disaster Risk Reduction Unit’s Urban Programme (Barcelona).
My work on environment and climate topics started in 2002-2003 at BBC Radio Science Unit. I reported for BBC World Service programme Science in Action on building outdoor structures with snow and ice in the frozen north of Finland, and deep well geothermal drilling in Iceland for geothermal energy production. I became acutely aware of the effects of global warming on the indigenous Saami reindeer herders of Northern Scandinavia and Northwestern Russia, and the need for more renewable energy. Since then, I have worked on the social and health consequences of environmental change potentially caused by infrastructure and energy developments (see Health and Social Impact Assessments) in the UK, Australia and Japan. I have also conducted desk-based research on the potential of HIAs in Thailand and Indonesia to reveal levels of industrial pollution from petrochemical plants and associated health effects, that freedom of information requests, as a legal avenue for obtaining information from governments about polluting companies, had not yielded.
Dr Cathy Mungall-Baldwin 