EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Effectively communicating climate change to urban audiences

Effectively communicating climate change to urban audiences

Introduction

How to engage the public on strategies that reduce local greenhouse gas emissions? This was the central question of a multi-disciplinary research project on effective climate change communication to citizens. In the paper ‘Talk of the city: engaging urbanites on climate change’, one of the project leaders applies the insights gained in the project to urban audiences. The basic principles outlined in the paper will help cities to not merely communicate information but also to facilitate a much needed behavioural change in their residents.

Description

Climate change requires societal engagement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and on adapting to the potential negative impacts of a warming climate. To achieve societal engagement remains a key challenge, however, for local communication and outreach strategies. The ‘New Strategies for Climate Change’ project explored how to communicate climate change in ways that facilitate a behavioural change in citizens. The project involved both academics and practitioners specialised in communication and social change.

In this paper, one of the project leaders draws on the insights gained from the ‘New Strategies’ project and applies them to the urban context. As cities are major generators of greenhouse gases and will be affected in numerous ways by climate change, it is essential that the urban residents are actively engaged in the mitigation and adaptation strategies. The paper emphasises the importance of identifying the audience that needs to be reached to avoid ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches. It also lays out the fundamental challenge of effective communication, which consist of four ingredients:

improved communication of global warming
elevating motivation to change
lowering barriers and resistance to change
leverage points for behavioural change consistent with identified mitigation or adaptation goals.

Each of these four ingredients is then separately discussed, illustrated by examples of best practices from cities in the United States.

Conclusions

To tailor communication and outreach on climate change appropriately, cities need to identify who their audience may be. For each sub-section of the urban population, a specific approach will have to be designed, matching their values, concerns and information needs. A local sustainability survey among residents can help to give insight into their views.
The messengers of climate change communication need to be matched with the audiences. Messengers that are credible and persuasive in the eyes of the audience are more successful in stimulating others into behaviour change. The circle of communicators therefore needs to be broadened beyond scientists and environmental advocates.
Neighbourhood, organisational and small-scale community approaches provide adequate forums for engagement and the necessary social support and accountability to facilitate behavioural change.
Being concerned about or understanding global warming are not sufficient conditions to motivate people into action. Providing citizens with concrete and actionable solutions is essential to engage them on a complex issue such as climate change.
Leverage points to promote behavioural change in urban areas include both bottom-up and top-down approaches, existing networks of government officials to exchange information on climate change and solutions (such as ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability), and investing in environmental education and awareness raising for children.

Contact info

Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE)
Susanne Moser (project leader), tel. +1 303 4978132

Publication date

20/11/2006

Researcher

Susanne Moser

Links

Visit ‘New Strategies for Climate Change’ project website

Download ‘Talk of the city: engaging urbanites on climate change’ (PDF, Eng, 340 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Citizens' participation