While governments and advocates have largely focused on the technological, economic and political changes needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, far less attention has been paid to engaging the public in the global response to climate change. What does it mean to live in a changing climate? How do public attitudes play into the global policy discourse on climate change?...
This report summarises the topline findings of the European Perception of Climate Change Project (EPCC), a study that gives insights into public perceptions of climate change across four major European countries – France, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. Research teams from each country and an International Stakeholder Advisory Panel collaboratively designed a theoretically grounded cross-national survey, providing directly comparable...
Effective communications requires reflecting and responding to different audiences, and tailoring messaging to the values of each audience. NGOs and financiers have different values and therefore use different narratives, often with entirely different vocabularies. Policymakers – especially those in government and multilateral development agencies – tend to sit between the two sectors, adopting some of the NGO concerns about social...
As several decades of awareness-raising and initiatives to engage the public have shown, climate change doesn’t communicate itself. A burgeoning evidence base on the social science of climate change communication now provides many explanations for why engaging on climate change can be challenging. Climate science is filled with uncertainties, a notorious stumbling block for communicating with non-scientists. For some, the...
Last year, Climate Tracker produced toolkits to help journalists, writers, and other communicators write about climate change and publish it in media. But, we couldn’t help ask ourselves: what makes climate change communication effective? How do we deal with climate skeptics? And how can we communicate climate science clearly? We decided to come up with a new toolkit to try...
Last year’s entry into force of Paris Climate Agreement was a crucial step forward in the efforts to transform communities around the globe to low-carbon, climate-resilient societies. The year 2016 also saw the conclusion of HABITATIII and the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, which defines comprehensive guidance on integrated sustainable urban and territorial development. Meanwhile, the biodiversity agenda advanced...
This initial briefing paper summarises research and expertise on public communication of drought risks in a changing climate. We explore the difficulties involved in building understanding and engagement with the sometimes complex issues surrounding climate change and drought in the UK. The report outlines how communicators can best respond to these challenges. These lessons are intended to support delivery of...
This guide is for leaders and citizens determined to push back against fossil fuel’s tight grip on American energy policy and to move our country forward – to catalyze leadership and action toward a clean energy future and a safer climate. First developed in 2012, this message guide has been used as the foundation for a wide range of high-...
There is a long history of academic interest in how individuals and communities in the UK have responded to floods and other extreme weather events. And there have been some practical responses to the challenges communities in flood-affected areas face (from the emergency plans of regional councils, to the resources of organisations like the Environment Agency). But in a changing...
What does food mean to people? Is it fuel for the engine, a fashion item, an export commodity, a sensual temptation, a vehicle for culture and celebration, a badge of religious and political identity, or a vital connection with the natural world? It can be all of these things and more, and the stories people tell about food will affect...
