Beyond COP26

The first take-away from the project was confirmation of the commonly-held view that young people are very concerned about climate change. But we also learned that they have a greater awareness of the impacts of climate change compared to the causes, which can lead to the conflagration with other environmental issues such as ozone depletion.

Secondly, young people (and I would argue, all people) do not relate to technical language, and while they feel strongly about fairness and justice, they prefer images that relate to everyday life and which connect to them. In this case, proximity better equates to urgency.

The third area concerned where young people do or could source their climate information from. They recall seeing content most regularly on social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, but crucially, they identify with and distinguish between specific social media platforms more than they do with the original sources of content posted. This means that they are not always aware of the provenance of what they’re viewing, and therefore they’re less likely to detect potential political bias. Away from their screens, they view teachers as a trusted source on climate issues but say that the curriculum is failing to provide climate education outside of core scientific areas. 

Finally, the young people told us that informing people accurately may not be enough on its own – the nature of the message itself is crucial. So, doomsday scenarios, however fact-based and well-intentioned, are likely to disempower and disengage them unless they are accompanied by positive solutions.

As the inheritors of this planet, it’s vital that we listen to our young people. And COP26 heard cries of frustration directed towards world-leaders by the likes of Greta Thunberg, who feel their environmental concerns – and their activism – are being paid mere lip-service. But we must also take heed of what they’re telling us in relation to the nature of communication itself.

As we mature, our belief-systems grow ever more complex and individualised, and we filter information through our socio-political, cultural and religious values. Put simply, the same message can be interpreted in entirely different ways by different people. In a study I recently published in Nature Astronomy – on the role that astronomers can play in the climate communication (like teachers, a similarly trusted source of information) – I wrote that we’ve moved on from the days when we believed that people merely lacked information with regard to climate change. Research has shown that those who strongly identify with personal ambition and materialism have a tendency to be more sceptical of climate change messaging – but may be more receptive when it is framed as energy efficiency and waste avoidance.

The point is that communicators need to tailor their messaging in the knowledge that different audiences will require varied approaches. This includes tapping into people’s motivations and values through our understanding of sociological and psychological factors. And it is necessary to be mindful that the political climate and the tone of the media debate will play a significant role in how we move forward – or otherwise we risk losing people to tribal allegiances, or fear and hopelessness.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood” 

said Marie Curie, a two-time recipient of the Nobel Prize, with words that resonate with this issue and more besides. 

“Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less”

The chief drivers and solutions to climate change are social, political and economic. This has long been recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council who fund policy driven research on topics such as social norms and behaviour change, climate justice and global inequality, and the role of the media. This provides an evidence base to guide communicators as to what works best when communicating with particular groups. Also research into media framing exposes the power dynamics that shape this debate. The tone and content of media reporting plays a particularly significant role here, since this is where the battle to influence the public and political agenda plays out. There are many powerful actors with strong vested interests who are seeking to shape this discourse especially through social media. In the age of fake news it’s important to uncover misinformation and concerted attempts to encourage distraction and delay.