New Weather Institute

The New Weather Institute is a co-operative think tank based in the United Kingdom. It describes itself as created to accelerate a rapid transition to a fairer economy capable of thriving within planetary boundaries, and it brings together radical thinkers, makers, artists and activists to design that transition. Rather than operating as a conventional research institute, it presents itself as a collaborative venture whose associates create and manage initiatives spanning debate, thinking, writing and publishing, trend-spotting, community, arts and culture. The institute's public work is organised around a set of named initiatives. Badvertising is a campaign to stop advertising that fuels the climate emergency, targeting ads for cars, airline flights and fossil fuels. Rapid Transition focuses on rapid economic transition and widespread behaviour change toward sustainable lifestyles, framed as necessary to live within planetary ecological boundaries and to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees. Other listed initiatives include Car Free Megacities, Rethinking Economics and Creative Thinking. The organisation publishes blogs and analysis on climate, advertising, sport and economics. Recent posts have examined the climate costs of major sporting events, including analysis of FIFA's sponsorship deals with high-carbon sponsors and the heat risks facing World Cup host cities, alongside work from its Cool Down Network. Its associates have included Andrew Simms, Bill McGuire, Lindsay Mackie, Sarah Woods, David Boyle, Leo Murray, Sarah Burns and Nicky Saunter. David Boyle, one of the founders, died in June 2025; he was a long-time fellow at the New Economics Foundation and the author of books including Authenticity, The Tyranny of Numbers and Funny Money. Leo Murray co-founded Plane Stupid and 10:10 Climate Action, devised the Frequent Flyer Levy, and created the Trump Baby blimp. The New Weather Institute operates as a co-operative and a think tank, with no public listing and no disclosed parent company. Its output is aimed at policymakers, campaigners and the public, and it positions itself at the intersection of climate campaigning, new economics and creative communications.

The New Weather Institute was created as a co-operative think tank to accelerate a rapid transition to a fairer economy capable of thriving within planetary boundaries. Its founding circle included David Boyle, a long-time fellow at the New Economics Foundation who was at the heart of efforts to popularise new economics, develop co-production and introduce time banks to Britain. Boyle authored books including Funny Money: In search of alternative cash (1999), The Tyranny of Numbers (2001), The Sum of Our Discontent (2001) and Authenticity: Brands, Fakes, Spin and the Lust for Real Life (2003), and served as the UK government's independent reviewer on Barriers to Public Service Choice from 2012 to 2013. He died in June 2025. From its early period the institute assembled a network of associates who create and manage its initiatives. Among them is Leo Murray, who co-founded Plane Stupid in 2006 and played a central role in its strategic planning and communication for three years, then designed and co-founded 10:10 Climate Action in 2009, where he became director of innovation. Murray devised the Frequent Flyer Levy, served as Strategy Lead for the Rapid Transition Taskforce, and spent a 12-month period as a part-time political advisor on the transition to a sustainable economy to Labour's Shadow Minister for Sustainable Economics, Clive Lewis MP. He also created the Trump Baby blimp to protest the US President's visits to the UK in 2018 and 2019. The institute's public profile has been built around named initiatives rather than a single research programme. Badvertising campaigns to stop advertising that fuels the climate emergency, including ads for cars, airline flights and fossil fuels. Rapid Transition promotes rapid economic transition and widespread behaviour change toward sustainable lifestyles, framed as necessary to live within planetary ecological boundaries and to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees. Car Free Megacities, Rethinking Economics and Creative Thinking extend the institute's work into urban transport, economic thinking and culture. By the mid-2020s the institute was publishing regular blogs and analysis linking climate, advertising, sport and economics. Its Cool Down Network produced climate guides to World Cup host cities facing heat extremes, and its analysts examined the climate costs of FIFA's sponsorship deals with high-carbon sponsors. The organisation continues to describe itself as a co-operative think tank bringing together radical thinkers, makers, artists and activists to design a rapid transition to a fair and ecological economy.

• 2026

  The institute publishes analysis of FIFA's high-carbon sponsorship deals and launches Cool Down Network climate guides to World Cup host cities.

• 2025

  Founder David Boyle dies in June 2025.

• 2018

  Leo Murray creates the Trump Baby blimp to protest the US President's visits to the UK.

• 2012

  David Boyle serves as the UK government's independent reviewer on Barriers to Public Service Choice (2012-13).

• 2009

  Leo Murray designs and co-founds 10:10 Climate Action, later becoming its director of innovation.

• 2006

  Associate Leo Murray co-founds Plane Stupid and plays a central role in its strategic planning and communication for three years.

• 1999

  Founder David Boyle publishes Funny Money: In search of alternative cash, launching the time banks movement in the UK.

A co-operative think tank at the intersection of climate campaigning, new economics and creative communications.

• Badvertising

  A campaign to stop adverts fuelling the climate emergency, including ads for cars, airline flights and fossil fuels.

• Rapid Transition

  Work on rapid economic transition and behaviour change to sustainable lifestyles, to live within planetary boundaries and limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees.

• Car Free Megacities

  An initiative listed among the institute's initiatives.

• Rethinking Economics

  An initiative listed among the institute's initiatives.

• Creative Thinking

  An initiative listed among the institute's initiatives.

1. 1New Weather Home - New Weather Institutenewweather.org
2. 2About Us - New Weather Institutenewweather.org
3. 3Leo Murray - New Weather Institutenewweather.org
4. 4David Boyle - New Weather Institutenewweather.org
5. 5New Weather Institute - Wikidatawikidata.org