Climate change adaptation is an area of innovation that doesn’t always go according to plan. However, when it comes to talking about adaptation (particularly in public forums), the focus often centres on ‘success stories’.
Although these narratives are inspiring, they can sometimes lack the deeper learning that practitioners and decision-makers can gain from each other through discussing what didn’t work and why. These useful, and at times entertaining narratives, are key to the development of adaptation communication practice. This is an area that is often overlooked at conferences, yet is something that is relevant for all those engaged in science, policy and practice.
For those working to drive climate action, how you talk about the issue is extremely important, especially when we’re not even sure if it is socially acceptable to challenge climate denial. So this session will take stock of practical and conceptual shortcomings of climate change communication, with respect to issues including:
- climate change communication characteristics
- the role of communication in adaptation policy
- value-driven communication
- practical examples of tool development and reaching new audiences
- insights in relation to how our responses to risk can make it difficult to communicate climate change.
Most importantly, this session will be a frank discussion from both the speakers and attendees around failures to communicate particular outcomes, and how those setbacks informed and shaped later practice.
Effective engagement starts by understanding how people’s values underpin their views about climate change, an issue that has been shaped by political and cultural factors in a way few others have. This practical ‘how-to’ session introduces the concept of values-based communication for adaptation based on social research. Delivery of this session will be through a So what? now what? approach that will engage researchers, practitioners, communication professionals and managers across all areas of adaptation.
This session has been brought together by an international team of communication professionals; don’t miss hearing from Climate Outreach, Stockholm Environment Institute, Adaptation Scotland, University of Colorado, UKCIP, and Victoria University.
