The State of Climate Change Communications

InformationDeficit

InformationSurfeit

Data first: Give enough information and

change will come

Drama first: Encourage thinking and action based on rhetorical

information and emotional response

IPCC News Coverage

Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850. In the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years (medium confidence).

UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Climate Change 2013:The Physical Science Basis

*Pg 3, SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS, Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis by IPCC Working Group I Contribution to AR5 (Page 3; Figure SPM.1b). http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf

Moving Towards a New Paradigm

InformationDeficit

InformationSurfeit

Data first: Give enough information and

change will come

VALUES CONGRUENT

SCIENTIFICALLY CORRECT

COMMUNICATIONS Drama first: Encourage thinking and action based on rhetorical

information and emotional response

RECOMMENDATIONSFormation / Projection / Reception

Why is carbon dioxide increasing so much?

How does increasing carbon dioxide impact the choices a consumer makes?  

How does increasing carbon dioxide impact the choices a supplier makes? 

Where will we run?

What will we grow?

Will we still get along?

Will I be free?

Will I be safe?

Will my home still even be here?

Will my wine taste the same?

What will this new world look like?

How much worse will the shoveling get?

SCIENCE MEDIA POLICY BUSINESS BELIEF

Accurate Dramatic Realistic Actionable Archetypal

Qualifying Engaging Speaks to Need Speaks to Revenue Circumscribing

Highlight Uncertainty

Highlight Certainty Highlight Risk Highlight Benefit Highlight

certainty

Cautious Certain Careful Candid Anthemic

Build Case for Further

ResearchBuild Audience

and InterestBuild

Constituency Build Business

Case Build following

Objective Persuasive Popular Visionary Persuasive

Generate Understanding

Generate Ratings

Generate Momentum

Generate Shareholder

InterestGenerate action

Steer Clear of Policy

Commit to a Conclusion

Commit to Policy Recommendatio

ns

Build Science-Based Business

ScenariosCommunity

Ethos

Defining Language and Narrative DeterminantsScience and Other Sectors

Humanistic Communications Narrative Hierarchy

Food & WaterGlobal Health

Resiliency

Media

Ethics

Economics

Science Anti-Science

Religion Homeland Security

Self-Fulfillment

Safety

Esteem

Social

Physiological

Source: Ken Wilber, Wicked Problems

Four different ways to connect one hundred people. Each circle (“node”) represents a person, and each line (“tie”) a relationship between two people. Lines with arrows indicate a directed relation- ship; in the telephone tree, one person calls another. Otherwise, ties are mutual: in the bucket brigade, full and empty buckets travel in both directions; in military squads, the connections between the sol- diers are all two-way.

ConnectedBucket Brigades, Telephone Trees and Military

Squads

Research Action Cycle

The deepest purpose of all communication: to exchangeideas and informao, to heaand be heard, to create understanding and foster connection among us (some would extend the circle beyond humans), and, ultimately, to ensure survival.

Upstream Communications

Substantial facilitation of communications went on to prepare for the floods, even weather forecasters were trained in the basic science and worked to warn residents quite early on about the link to climate change and the need for long-term strategies as a result. The message was that the floods were not going away and werent anomalous weather events. Additionally, communications workshops were facilitated across all relevant sectors…

Religion Economics Politics International

Relations Science and

Technology Engineering Sociology Psychology Community

Health Risk

ManagementEtc….

Sketch of website

Aaron will have this by Friday afternoon cuz

he’s a superstar

YES

Patagonia: Vote the Environment

Biochar as Strategy

• \

ARA-SUL, 2000

Mozambique Floods March 2000 -2010

PREPARE

Main Pont

It’s not just how to communicate.

It’s about what to communicate and how those arenas intersect.

POSITION

People survived by moving up into trees and tying themselves up there, some were stuck there for days or even weeks. They drank the contaminated waters that flowed by, grabbing crops or anything else they could eat.

PROVIDE

PROD

PRODUCE

Main Pont

PREVIEW

Main Pont

It’s not just how to communicate.

It’s about what to communicate and how those arenas intersect.

AP, 2000

BBC, 2000

Global Media Coverage

• 2007 - two days of advance warning to evacuate around 150,000 people, disbursed US$5 million

• 2008 - five days of warning to evacuate 150,000 people, disbursed US$3 million

• 2011 - ten days of warning, disbursed less than US$1 million

Notable Improvement Over Time

Source: Reuters, 2013

World Bank, GFDRR (2014)

US Air Force, 2000

Global Relief Effort

Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management Coordination Function

World Bank, GFDRR (2014)

Process of using communications to promote multi-stakeholder engagement and drive on-the-ground actions and outcomes

● Upstream communications can be used to foster downstream outcomes

● Communications as part of the solution, not communicating the solution

Upstream Communication Benefits

Upstream Communications TakeAways

• Link sound science with beliefs and values

• Facilitate value-driven narratives

Possible IPCC Options:• Bring together a network of multidisciplinary

scientists, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Act as a clearinghouse to processes and translate scientific data and expertise into actionable sustainability strategies.

• Facilitate science-based, action-oriented communities, networks and working groups.