Is poor communication a reason for why we still are moving in the wrong direction?
- The Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Past measurements of atmospheric CO2-concentrations indicate a steady annual increase since 1958 when the observations started. In the meanwhile, there have been numerous reports published on the state of the climate, climate change and its consequences (e.g. The Charney Report in 1979 and six assessment reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, in 1990, 1995, 2001, 2007, 2013, and 2021). The track-record for scientific communication in the past can be described as a failure since the CO2-levels have kept increasing in spite of the warnings from the IPCC and the scientific community. In 2022, the emission of CO2 from coal, oil and gas was higher than ever.
On the other hand, the media has become more climate literate, and there are today almost daily news headlines on climate-related stories. There are also some advances towards a more sustainable future, such as renewable energy sources and carbon trading. The question is nevertheless whether the message from the scientific community has been too difficult or too vague for those policymakers who influence the extraction of coal, oil and gas. An example of the message not being loud and clear is the IPCC’s sixth summary for policy-makers (SPM) of the synthesis report. There seem to be two communication problems: (1) relevant and important policy-makers don’t seem to understand the IPCC’s summary meant for them, and (2) those writing the SPM don't seem to learn from feedback from scientists who try to convey an understanding of our challenges regarding climate change. It’s important to takestock and learn from both mistakes and successes.
So what can the EMS do? Write a joint statement together with the AMS or offer the IPCC some advice?
1)https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-global-co2-emissions-from-fossil-fuels-hit-record-high-in-2022/
2)https://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2023/04/the-summary-for-policymakers-of-the-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change-sixth-assessment-reports-synthesis/
How to cite: Benestad, R.: Is poor communication a reason for why we still are moving in the wrong direction?, EMS Annual Meeting 2023, Bratislava, Slovakia, 4–8 Sep 2023, EMS2023-106, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2023-106, 2023.
