About the project

This research project explores what people in Scotland think and feel about climate change, in particular in relation to the difficult emotions or mental health and wellbeing impacts that may be associated with a changing climate. We’re interested in seeing what we can learn from stories people write about climate change, and whether these generate new insights that might be missed in other types of research into climate emotions.

The research aims to answer questions such as:

• What stories do people in Scotland write about climate change, and are these different from the kinds of stories we read in the media?
• What can these stories tell us about how people in Scotland think and feel about climate change?
• Can writing stories about climate change help manage feelings of distress around climate change, and/or does this lead to pro-environmental action?
• How can people’s stories about climate change impact on the way climate organisations understand and respond to the Scottish public?

People from around Scotland have contributed around 75 stories to the project. Between January – June 2026, we also ran a series of workshops in Edinburgh and Glasgow on creative writing and climate change, and interviewed those who took part.

The next stage for the research project is to go through all of the stories submitted to the project, alongside the notes and interview transcripts from the project workshops. Analysing these will inform the project findings, which will be written up into a PhD thesis as well as some public-facing materials. 

If you’re interested in hearing what findings emerge from this research, please contact Rhiannon, the researcher on this project, using the contact details below.

If you submitted a story to the project and were expecting to be kept updated but have not yet heard from Rhiannon, please get in touch.

This research project is being carried out by PhD researcher Rhiannon Bull within the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

Rhiannon is a writer of fiction and narrative non-fiction who has had shorter pieces published and been shortlisted for awards. Rhiannon also has previous experience facilitating creative writing workshops both within and outwith a research context.

You can contact Rhiannon on her university email r.bull.1@research.gla.ac.uk or find out more about their work here.