Communication on climate change in the Netherlands

Greening of Industry, Cardiff, 2-5 July 2006 Dr. Judith E.M. Klostermann

Wageningen University, The Netherlands

Contents:

1. Introduction CCSP programme

2. CCSP communication strategy

3. Assessing climate communication

4. Who are communicating?

5. Two arena’s

6. Knowledge levels and needs

7. Media preferences and processes

8. Conclusions: with whom and how?

1. Introduction CCSP programme

• “There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities” (IPCC, 2001)

• ‘Climate Changes Spatial Planning’ (CCSP): – Research relations between climate change and spatial

planning– Eg. nature, agriculture, transport, water management

• 2004 - 2011, 40 million Euros, 30-40 projects• Goals

– strengthen knowledge infrastructure on climate change – investigate possibilities for adaptation and mitigation – to involve as many stakeholders as possible

2. CCSP communication strategy

C: General publicEducation

B: Lower governmentsBusiness

A. ScientistsNational governmentsNGO’s

Figure 1: target groups of the CCSP programme

3. Assessing climate communication

Assessment of climate communication in the Netherlands:

• Communication needs of the target groups • Inventory of existing communication

activities.• Methods:

– Internet scan– Interviews and email questionnaires– Documents and magazines

• Two months

4. Who are communicating?

Internet: hits with climate change

Trustworthy sources of climate info

Organizers of debate

1. NGO’s

2. Knowledge institutes

3. National govern-ments

1. Knowledge institutes (esp. KNMI)

2. National govern-ments

1. Knowledge institutes

2. National and other govern-ments

3. NGO’s

5. Two arena’s

• Knowledge institutes, ministries, politics, NGO’s

• Latest scientific results on climate change, including uncertainties

• Policy measures they may imply: adaptation to climate change, safety, flooding, and energy policy

• Not with citizens or private companies!

• Lower governments, citizens, companies, NGO’s and education

• Implementation of policy measures: wind energy, bioenergy, water projects, agriculture and which sites for building.

• Not about uncertainties• Not with knowledge

institutes!

Consequences of two arena’s:

• nobody discusses the uncertainties of climate change with citizens

• This may not be enough for the implementation of local measures

• Regional and local governments need to inform themselves on complete story including uncertainties

6. Knowledge: levels and needs

• Three knowledge levels: – scientific knowledge– professional knowledge– lay knowledge

• Available: sustainable energy, water adaptation

• Needs: adaptation (16), climate change as such (14), mitigation (11), other (11)

Information needs

• Often two or more themes, sometimes four themes (the whole story)

• Examples of questions:– How should institutional arrangements

change in response to climate change? – What are the latest facts from climate

research? – How can farmers adapt to heavy rainfall? – What climate policy is possible for

production of electricity?

7. Media preferences and processes

• Paper media 23

• Personal contact 19

• Internet 19

• Workshops and conferences 9

• radio/TV 7

• most of the respondents use many different media

Information processes

Collection of in-depth information with a specific purpose

Scientific reports and policy documents

Strategic selection and exchange of information, including negotiations

Personal contact, networking, workshops/ conferences

Broad scanning of news to stay informed on a professional domain

Newspapers, TV, trade journals, internet, newsletters

8. Conclusions: with whom and how?

• A-circle: Scientific institutions, national governments and NGO’s already strongly involved

• Need series of media, including articles and reports with in-depth information

• NGO’s sometimes have a problem with the accessibility of scientific information

Conclusions II

• B-circle: provincial governments, water boards, municipalities and private business: more difficult

• Not so interested in scientific facts • Large differences in information levels • Cooperate with national governments

and umbrella organizations • Personal contact will be one of the

most important ways

Conclusions: C-circle

• C-circle: general public, education: will be even harder

• Large size of the groups and diversity

• Cooperate with KNMI, NGO’s and public media

• Educational institutions, pupils and students: not enough info