What’s Possible?
Our vision: A zero carbon society, built by and for the people of the UK.
Our mission: inspiring people in the UK to take the action the climate crisis demands.
The Problem
The British public finds itself trapped in the high-carbon lifestyles of cities built for private cars, homes built for gas, and an economy built for overconsumption. Politicians see the lack of public participation in climate action and think there’s no demand for policies making lower carbon lifestyles easier, when really we need to first change the ‘choice environment’ in which consumption decisions occur. To change established behaviours we need to change the ‘menu’ of available options.
How we tackle it
Everything Possible does in the next three years will ultimately aim to increase meaningful public participation in climate action, at home, in our communities and workplaces, and in political engagement.
We encourage engagement from the whole public but especially focus on two demographics.
People with high-carbon lifestyles and the means to reduce them
People are currently under-represented in the climate movement and policy debates.
By breaking down behaviour into where we live, what we buy, getting around and getting away, people can bring solutions into their own lives, signalling to politicians that there is a demand for broader climate action.
Then within each of these areas, we take climate solutions from ideas, through development, show they work and make them into scalable projects.
We do this by innovating and delivering a suite of varied projects from fixing electronics to taking slow travel which engage ordinary people in creative climate action. By doing this, we prove that viable solutions exist, that they work, and that people will actively contribute to their success.
This gives businesses, politicians and other decision-makers the confidence and the courage to scale our solutions, knowing the public will come with us. Both the public and politicians go further and faster. Everything changes.
Who we work with
Our projects are garnered toward everyone in the UK but we especially focus on harnessing two key demographics of the public to leverage the greatest acceleration on climate action.
The first group of people are those with high-carbon lifestyles and the means to reduce them, many of whom also register the highest levels of concern about the climate crisis. We reach these people through projects that encourage lower carbon travel and inspire early adoption of new technology like heat pumps. Those with high socioeconomic status can use their social capital for the collective interest, extending solidarity to those with less capacity to act, and Possible can help to guide them into this role.
The second group are people marginalised by the current climate conversation. We must gain these people’s support to make climate action a success as well as a just transition. We reach these people through projects which demonstrate that the poorest residents of cities are the primary beneficiaries of traffic reduction efforts.
What we do
Possible’s specialism is grassroots innovation, where we spot new opportunities to move things forward, find partners with the expertise to make the ideas a reality, and develop projects and solutions that seek to spark action that can be replicated without us.
From ‘sticky’ policy innovations like the frequent flyer levy and social innovations like Climate Perks, to technical and commercial innovations like solar railways and heat pumps under public parks, our work accelerates change by opening new horizons of collective imagination about what’s possible when it comes to climate action.
Climate action has to be something people want to be a part of, and that insight is perhaps the most important thing that Possible brings to the climate movement. Therefore we primarily run ‘yes’ campaigns; ones which foreground the many benefits of taking the action needed to cut emissions; and to dream up innovative, evidence-based ways to use emerging low carbon tech and social practices to cut emissions. Solutions which people can get excited about.
What people are saying about us
At Possible, we pride ourselves in building projects that are infectious. Our work cuts carbon, but because we work on a cultural as well as technical levels, we get people talking about climate change action too.
Just some of the lovely things people have said about our work:
“It’s been an amazing journey, and has restored my faith in community spirit”
“The campaign was superb. Thank for your huge efforts and for giving so many of us hope.”
“Maybe my contribution really is making a difference. And maybe my son will have a world worth living in after all. Thank you for making my week.”
“People that wouldn’t have done things like this before are now getting involved.”
Our projects have featured in:
Annual Report
Read our latest annual report for the year ended 30 July 2023, and take a look at our accounts.