Resources for Environmental Communicators
This report summarises and synthesises key trends, themes and findings in the field of science communication, with a particular focus on evidence from environmental and sustainability sciences. The report pays equal attention to the study of communicating scientific evidence, and the socio-political context in which science communication research is funded and science communication practice takes place. It maps existing research...
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...
The European Perceptions of Climate Change project (EPCC) provides insights into public attitudes towards climate change and energy transitions across France, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. In an initial report, the project detailed the socio-political context relevant to understanding perceptions of climate change in each of these nations. A second report summarises the key findings from an international representative...
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...
This resource is a workshop with information and practical exercises that will give you knowledge of the science of climate change communication, and the confidence to apply this knowledge in practice with non-academic audiences. It is designed for all researchers across the physical, natural and social sciences.
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...
This handbook provides a brief history of the consensus on climate change. We’ll summarize the research quantifying the level of scientific agreement on human-caused global warming. We’ll examine what the public thinks about the consensus, and the misinformation campaigns that have sought to confuse people. We’ll look at how we should respond to misinformation and how best to communicate the...
A large body of research shows that people need to understand climate change as a narrative, containing their own language and shaped by their own values and experience. Most climate change language however is dry, technical or too based in the campaign culture of the Global North. To date, there has been very little research into effective climate change communications...
Global Narratives is a pioneering initiative launched jointly by Climate Outreach and Climate Action Network International (CAN-I) to test and develop climate change messaging and narratives. It pilots a new model of cooperative design that avoids the high cost of qualitative research by training national partners to conduct research themselves with their own audiences based on Climate Outreach’s Narrative Workshop...
Let’s Talk Faith and Climate: Communication Guidance for Faith Leaders is designed to be useful to both experienced and novice climate change and faith communicators. This guide synthesizes the latest academic research and message testing on climate communications from across the social sciences into a practical guide to support meaningful discussions on climate change and faith among individuals and groups....
Looking for some professional development? Consider the IECA's online course Environmental Communication: Research Into Practice, beginning every January and September.
Inclusion of a resource on this site should not be considered an endorsement.