Breaking the climate spiral of silence: lessons from a COP26 climate conversations campaign

Joshua Ettinger (), Alexis McGivern, Marcus P. Spiegel, Brittany King, Zoha Shawoo, Arielle Chapin and William Finnegan
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Joshua Ettinger: University of Oxford
Alexis McGivern: University of Oxford
Marcus P. Spiegel: University of Oxford
Brittany King: Independent
Zoha Shawoo: Independent
Arielle Chapin: Independent
William Finnegan: University of Oxford

Climatic Change, 2023, vol. 176, issue 3, No 5, 15 pages

Abstract: Abstract Conversations about climate change are crucially important for mobilizing climate action, as well as for processing emotions and finding meaning in times of crisis. However, limited guidance exists on how to successfully facilitate these discussions, especially among individuals with a wide range of beliefs, knowledge levels, and opinions about climate change. Here, we describe the Talk Climate Change project — an Oxford University student-led climate conversation campaign associated with the 2021 United Nations COP26 meeting. Over 1000 individuals across 40 countries held climate-related discussions. They then described their discussions in submissions to an interactive conversation map ( www.talkclimatechange.org ), along with messages to COP26. We reflect on the campaign’s outcomes and offer advice on overcoming barriers to effective climate dialogue; how to handle emotional responses; and other considerations for catalyzing meaningful and productive climate discussions. We call for a stronger focus on training conversational skills, providing context-specific discussion resources, and empowering diverse people to have conversations about climate change among their families, friends, coworkers, and communities.

Keywords: Climate conversations; Climate change communication; Public engagement; Climate activism; COP26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-023-03493-5

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