This Handbook provides a resource for IPCC scientists in their public engagement and communication activities. It captures key research findings from the social science literature and relates them to practical examples and situations, summarising them into six principles for public engagement.
The Working Group I Technical Support Unit of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) commissioned Climate Outreach to produce an evidence-based, practical communications handbook tailored for IPCC authors. However, this advice can also help other organisations with how to communicate and engage with the public on climate change and other environmental concerns.
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. But the same social science literature that documents the challenges posed by engaging the public with climate change also provides some robust guidance for how to communicate more effectively.
Social science insights tell us is that it is possible to communicate climate science in a way that makes that message easier for non-scientific audiences to understand, and makes it more relevant to their lives and experiences. Connecting with your audience on the basis of shared values builds trust between the communicator and the audience.
This Handbook is fully referenced but with a strong focus on practical guidance for real public engagement scenarios (e.g. preparing a presentation for a public meeting, or thinking about material for a discussion with a local community group).
This Handbook provides a resource for IPCC scientists in their public engagement and communication activities. It captures key research findings from the social science literature and relates them to practical examples and situations a communicator might face. Here’s what you need to know about each of the six principles:
Designed to aid Local Authorities in developing robust, evidence-based plans to enable Net Zero.
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