Speaking of Climate Change: Reframing Effective Communication for Greater Impact

Kirsty A. O’Callaghan; Patrick D. Nunn; Sarah Casey; Gail Crimmins; Harry Dugmore

doi:10.3390/cli13040069

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Speaking of Climate Change: Reframing Effective Communication for Greater Impact

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Speaking of Climate Change: Reframing Effective Communication for Greater Impact

Kirsty A. O’Callaghan, Patrick D. Nunn, Sarah Casey, Gail Crimmins and Harry Dugmore

Climate, Vol.13(4), pp.1-17

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli13040069

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Abstract

climate change communication

audience engagement

behavioural change

Effective climate change communication is central to public engagement, self-efficacy, and support for mitigation and adaptation policies. Yet, communicators face numerous challenges, such as misinformation, climate despair, and the complexity of climate science. This study examines the views of 29 climate change communicators from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to evaluate the alignment between practitioner insights and research-backed strategies. Findings confirm the significance of audience segmentation, localized, and solution-focused messaging and collaborative approaches. A four-pillar framework, consisting of simplicity and local relevance, audience segmentation, storytelling, and actionable steps, emerges as a strategic model for enhancing the communication impact. This study offers a structured guide for improving climate communication effectiveness within diverse sociopolitical contexts by integrating theoretical insights with practitioner perspectives.

Details

Title: Speaking of Climate Change: Reframing Effective Communication for Greater Impact
Authors: Kirsty A. O’Callaghan (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Patrick D. Nunn - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Sarah Casey - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Gail Crimmins - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Harry Dugmore - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Publication details: Climate, Vol.13(4), pp.1-17
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.3390/cli13040069
ISSN: 2225-1154
Copyright note: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Data Availability: The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author(s).
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global & Engagement); School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991115737702621
Output Type: Journal article

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