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Handbook of Communication for Development and Social Change pp 1–19Cite as

Communicating Climate Change: Where Did We Go Wrong, How Can We Do Better?

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Abstract

This chapter traces the historical trajectory of climate change communication theory, and practice, including the cultural and social context for attitudes and beliefs around climate change and intersections between development communication and climate change communication. It also identifies particular challenges to the field and maps out the current landscape for scholars and practitioners. The main findings support previous development communication research that suggests the distribution of information is not enough to generate sustained engagement with either climate change advocacy or individual behavior change. Climate change communicators are most effective when they focus on positive solutions and appeal to specific local communities. Scholars must do a better job sharing their work across disciplines and with practitioners in the field, and finally, all communication efforts and their evaluation processes would benefit from sustained long-term engagement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Emily Polk

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  1. Emily Polk
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Correspondence to Emily Polk .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong Department of Media and Communication, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Jan Servaes

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Polk, E. (2018). Communicating Climate Change: Where Did We Go Wrong, How Can We Do Better?. In: Servaes, J. (eds) Handbook of Communication for Development and Social Change. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7035-8_26-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7035-8_26-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-7035-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7035-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

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