Spotlight on…

Dr Christina Demski, Co-investigator, University of Bath

What’s your current role at your institution?

I am a Reader in Environmental Psychology at the University of Bath. I am deputy director of the CAST Centre (Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations) which researches the kinds of social transformations required to address climate change since 2019. I am also Associate Director of the new Bath Institute of Climate Change and Sustainability (ICCS), which brings together scientists across physical, social and systems science, and engineering.

Which past experiences have helped you the most in your current role?

I have ten years’ experience researching climate mitigation and adaptation from a social science perspective. My work champions the importance of early and meaningful public and stakeholder engagement with environmental sustainability decisions, embedding public participation and values into decision-making, taking a people-centred approach to meeting sustainability goals, and supporting low-carbon lifestyles. I regularly work with policy makers to incorporate behaviour change and public engagement insights into energy and climate policies. For example, in 2020/2021 I completed a part-time secondment in BEIS as Net Zero Public Engagement Advisor. I produced a research note on the importance of public participation with net zero cited in the Net Zero Public Engagement Strategy. We also regularly produce outputs tailored to policy and other audiences in the form of briefings or reports. We also work hard to make sure our data is accessible for a wide audience.  For example, CAST launched a Data Portal in 2022 as a resource for policy makers and civil society practitioners to engage with the findings of the Centre. All of these experiences have prepared me well for engaging with stakeholders as part of the Transforming Homes project.

What excites you about the research in the Transforming Homes project?

The project is genuinely interdisciplinary and brings together academics, stakeholders and professionals from a wide variety of disciplines and backgrounds. Everyone has a lot of different experiences and perspectives – we are attempting to capture these to find genuinely transformative solutions for residents, householders and communities – I find this very inspiring and exciting.

How is your expertise contributing to the Transforming Homes project?

On the Transforming Homes project, I lead Work Package 6 which works with professionals and stakeholders to develop, implement, and scale sustainable home transformations. We are conducting in-depth interviews and workshops with professionals involved in the demonstrator projects in Swansea and Bristol to understand and include their experiences and insights. I am also working with others to develop recommendations for policy and practice to draw conclusions on how to scale transformative retrofit solutions for social housing.