Sarah Becker
Research Associate
- beckers@cardiff.ac.uk
- Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT
Overview
Research summary
As part of the Understanding Risk Research Group I have been involved in research exploring people's views on the financing of the energy transition in the UK. The UK Government has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, requiring a significant transformation of the energy system. Public acceptance and engagement will be crucial to support such a major shift. One major challenge is how to reduce emissions that arise from how we heat our homes, which currently is primarily done powered by natural gas. In our current research project we are exploring which low carbon heating technologies are preferred by members of the general public and why. This research will help to inform a heat decarbonisation process that is based on public preferences. In a previous project we examined what people think about who should be responsible to pay for the energy transition.
For my PhD I investigated people's views on climate change mitigation and to what extent individual behaviour change approaches may attenuate support for structural level change. Further, I looked at perceptions of drought and how these relate to views on climate change in California.
Previously I have been involved in work studying the successful uptake of solar home systems in Kenya.
Biography
Undergraduate education
2009 - 2012: BSc Psychology (Class I), University of Sussex, UK
Postgraduate education
2012 - 2013: MRes in Psychological Methods (passed with distinction), University of Sussex, UK (funded by the ESRC)
2013 - 2017: PhD in Environmental Psychology "Exploring views on climate change and how it should be addressed" supervised by Dr. Paul Sparks in Psychology and Dr. David Ockwell in Geography, University of Sussex, UK (funded by the ESRC)
Employment
April 2017 - present: Research Associate, Understanding Risk Research Group, Cardiff University, UK
Project: Transforming the UK energy system: Public views on responsibility and how to pay for 2050 (UKERC funded)
Publications
2023
- Becker, S., Demski, C., Smith, W. and Pidgeon, N. 2023. Public perceptions of heat decarbonization in Great Britain. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment 12(6), article number: e492. (10.1002/wene.492)
2020
- Becker, S. and Sparks, P. 2020. "It never rains in California": Constructions of drought as a natural and social phenomenon. Weather and Climate Extremes 29, article number: 100257. (10.1016/j.wace.2020.100257)
2019
- Becker, S., Demski, C., Evensen, D. and Pidgeon, N. 2019. Of profits, transparency, and responsibility: public views on financing energy system change in Great Britain. Energy Research and Social Science 55, pp. 236-246. (10.1016/j.erss.2019.05.013)
- Demski, C., Thomas, G., Becker, S., Evensen, D. and Pidgeon, N. 2019. Acceptance of energy transitions and policies: Public conceptualisations of energy as a need and basic right in the United Kingdom. Energy Research and Social Science 48, pp. 33-45. (10.1016/j.erss.2018.09.018)
2018
- Evensen, D., Demski, C., Becker, S. and Pidgeon, N. 2018. The relationship between justice and acceptance of energy transition costs in the UK. Applied Energy 222, pp. 451-459. (10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.03.165)
- Becker, S. and Sparks, P. 2018. Talking about climate change mitigation: People's views on different levels of action. Sustainability 10(5), pp. 1357-1374. (10.3390/su10051357)
2016
- Becker, S. and Sparks, P. 2016. Neither fair nor unchangeable but part of the natural order: orientations towards inequality in the face of criticism of the economic system. Social Justice Research 29(4), pp. 456-474. (10.1007/s11211-016-0270-1)
Research topics and related papers
Transforming the UK energy system: Public views on responsibility and how to pay for 2050
Building on previous survey research focus groups were conducted to examine people’s perceptions on energy transitions including questions about responsibility and how transitions should be paid for. Five focus groups (between 6-9 participants each) took place in Glasgow, Cardiff, Birmingham and London (2 groups in the latter). Participants were recruited to represent a diverse spread in terms of age, gender and socio-demographic background to capture diverse views. In the focus groups the energy system was defined broadly exploring perspectives on production, transmission and use. The analysis of the focus groups is looking at topics around affordability and profits, distrust in institutions and views on social justice.
Research group
I work as part of the Understanding Risk Research Group, which includes researchers from various disciplines and methodological backgrounds. The group has members from within Cardiff University and also works with institutions such as Nottingham University, Sheffield University and the University of East Anglia.
Supervision
Past projects
Media activities
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