The London-based think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has a long history of working on climate and energy policy and has a dedicated Climate Change team engaging both policymakers and the public in the debate, among others. Mel Poluck speaks to Head of the IPPR's Climate Change Team Simon Retallack about some of the IPPR's plans and achievements around the formidable task of helping policymakers deliver change and improving public behaviour towards the environment.

What key environmental objectives has the IPPR'S Climate Change Team achieved?

"One flagship project was the founding of the International Climate Change Taskforce created for the G8 and EU UK Presidencies in 2003. Since then, other low carbon projects include "How to build a low carbon Britain," which aims for 80% carbon cuts domestically and another that looks at how the EU could help India decarbonise its economy."

What are you working on now?

"One area of great interest focuses on the 'political space' and behaviour change; what affects people's decisions on whether to act or not. We have set up Climate Policy Forums to provide the space for policy debate.

"We're also doing work on personal carbon trading. The Secretary of State for the Environment said it's a proposal that deserves support. We're doing work to show how much it will be to adopt - policymakers want to know that above everything else."

What's the most challenging aspect of your role?

"To ensure the work we do influences policy. We strive to disseminate our work widely and talk to policymakers about recommendations we reach; and the task of finding funding."

How do you engender more environmentally-aware attitudes among the public?

"In engaging the public we want to facilitate the task of reducing carbon and work with them so the space to reduce carbon exists. [In terms of] behaviour change, climate change products must first be user friendly and attractive, for example, having microrenewable technologies such as photo voltaic solar panels are an advantage, but the cost is huge. And some technologies are considered slightly strange - they have an image problem."

How will you encourage debate with the public?

"It's important to understand the public in terms of where they are coming from and what their needs are and not treat them like a homogeneous mass. Public debate [should be] held at a national level that frames the challenge clearly, in a way the public can understand. A good example of this was the Pensions Review. The government set up an independent initiative with a very well respected leader. It wasn't a question of 'let's do nothing, or X or Y,' it was a case of 'here are the options, none are palatable but you need to choose one.'"

Has the Government's response to climate change been satisfactory so far?

"On the whole the government is moving in the right direction. It acknowledges the fact, in view of the rise in CO2, past measures have not been sufficient. The Climate Change Bill will alert them to where they've failed in the past.

"As far as targets are concerned, it's widely acknowledged the existing government target of [reducing carbon by] 60% by 2050 is inadequate. This target was set in 2003 - a lot has changed since then. We think it should be at least 80% by 2050. Based on the science we've done, if the UK was to do its bit, that target could be around 90% and the bulk could be achieved from domestic savings."

Could the private sector play more of an exemplary role?

"There's still a great deal of scope to engage the workforce in terms of office based staff and their use of transport."

What are the best starting points for making domestic energy savings?

"You reduce the loss of heat by putting in loft insulation and cavity wall insulation and having an efficient boiler can make a significant reduction. Beyond that, if you have the funds, having a form of microgeneration on your property, for example solar powered water heater or solar panels. But people can make savings doing what we call the 'small things.'"

Is there a class issue preventing the take-up of microrenewables?

"To some extent. That's something we need to guard against by the mandatory use of microrenewables on new builds - then the cost would also come down. When microrenewables are included in the cost of a new building, they're relatively low cost and manageable. We argue for existing homes there should be a greater number of grants available to householders and communities to buy microrenewables and reward those that sell the energy [they generate] back to the grid."

What emerging trends do you predict?

"We should see deployment of more types of energy generation, particularly tidal, marine and wind power. In Britain we've not done well in exploiting that so far. But [Government] is looking to reband renewables so turbines for wind and tidal and other less established renewables would get more 'credits' than more established forms of technology.

"Also, [increased use of] carbon capture and storage where CO2 is captured and stored underground. The Government is holding a competition at the end of the year allowing companies to bid for Government support to build a demonstration plant."

What are the IPPR Climate Change Team's most exciting future plans?

"To set up a Centre for Climate Policy at the beginning of next year, linking with other think tanks in other countries. It will have the IPPR's values of social justice at its core and aims to forge a global agreement once the Kyoto treaty expires; to significantly scale up investment in technologies; and to build up debate on public behaviour on this issue so transformation can be made in time."

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• Turn your thermostat down - it's better from an environmental and energy point of view and scientists have found out it's better for your hair too.
  (Andrew Jenkins, Sustainable Development Manager, Products, Boots Group PLC)

• My key maxim is: if you don't monitor it you can't target it.
  (Martyn Wilde, Energy Manager, Keele University)