Climate change communication

Abstract The past decade has seen an explosion of both academic research and on-the-ground experimentation aimed at improving climate change communication (CCC) efforts. Much of this work has been conducted and/or supported by psychologists, communications scholars, political scientists, and others who have brought theories and methods from the social sciences to bear on the question of how to effectively communicate with diverse audiences about climate change. In this chapter, we begin by highlighting key challenges communicators face, including features of the problem itself, cultural and political conflict, and psychological barriers that shape how people engage with the issue. We then present seven insights gleaned from the existing evidence base that communicators can incorporate to improve outcomes, including the importance of knowing one’s audience, cultivating the right messengers, highlighting solutions, framing the issue carefully, and confronting false information in ways that unify diverse audiences rather than contribute to polarization. We conclude with recommendations for future directions in both research and practice.