Sensemaking Climate: Exploring key challenges for climate communications and engagement

In climate solutions research, we encounter an intriguing ‘implementation gap’ in which net-zero technological solutions can tend to race ahead of social support for climate action. Even people who express concern about climate change can hesitate to act on that concern. Yet, for climate solutions to be successful and viable in society, the population needs to be on board, such as through voting, support for climate policies or other levers, social signaling, changed lifestyles, and more. This social layer of the climate challenge cannot be understated in its importance to a net-zero future.

For many people, climate change is difficult to wrap their minds around—it is hyper-complex, non-local, and occurs on long time-lines. Climate change also evokes strong emotions, such as feelings of sacrifice and loss, and a sense of threat to one’s cultural identity and a stable future. Both climate impacts and the disruption to society as a result of climate action present dramatic changes that are largely unimaginable. Further, some segments of the population are opposed to eco-authoritarian leadership styles—especially in a more polarized, post-pandemic Canada—and this can further delay coordinated action on climate.

In other words, the subjectivity surrounding this issue can be as complex as the phenomenon of climate change itself. So, how can climate researchers and proponents take stock of these various ‘sensemaking challenges’ and engage publics effectively about climate solutions?

In this interactive presentation and workshop, we will consider the role of climate change communications and engagement in climate solutions. Participants will:

• Examine the ‘sensemaking challenge’ that climate change presents.
• Reflect on how climate emotions relate with citizens’ response to climate action by government, both towards and against.
• Learn and identify five climate change discourses, and consider communication and framing that could relate with each.

Gail Hochachka, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in Forestry at the University of British Columbia. She studies the human dimensions of climate change and transformations to sustainability. Her current research focuses on the meaning-making, worldviews, and values that shape climate perceptions and action. Her work has been widely published and includes novel insights for climate policy design, communications, and engagement. She teaches a graduate course at UBC on Climate Communications and Engagement and also facilitates learning in non-academic settings such as through workshops, webinars, coaching, and conferences. Having completed her PhD at University of Oslo, Gail maintains research connections with Norway, with current involvement with the Western Norway Research Institute on nature-based solutions and transformations to sustainability research.