Using impact orientation for effective climate communication

Bättig-Frey, Petra; Jäger, Monica Ursina

Publication type:	Conference other
Type of review:	Peer review (abstract)
Title:	Using impact orientation for effective climate communication
Authors:	Bättig-Frey, Petra Jäger, Monica Ursina
et. al:	No
Proceedings:	SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis)
Page(s):	477
Conference details:	18th Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2020, Zurich (Switzerland), 6-7 November 2020
Issue Date:	7-Nov-2020
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences
Language:	English
Subjects:	Impact; Narrative environment; Outcome; Climate change communication; Target group
Subject (DDC):	302.2: Communication 333.7: Land, natural recreational areas
Abstract:	Communication on climate change usually goes beyond the mere transfer of factual knowledge: sustainable climate communication motivates the audience to reflect their own lifestyle and to adapt it to make more climate-friendly choices in everyday life. The research group Sustainability Communication and Environmental Education presents a selection of four vivid project examples, which communicate knowledge more effectively, efficiently, and sustainably. Each presented project illustrates an innovative communication strategy to foster an engaged, informed, and long-lasting relationship to climate-related topics such as nutrition, CO2-footprint, landscape, and soil. The starting point of each project is a precise impact orientation, defining the key messages and recommendations for action. Based on the impact orientation, an analysis of the relevant target groups is conducted, before defining the means for communication. This method results in specific approaches for targeting different groups. The first example uses a scientainment approach. The 'Zombie Mission', a digital outdoor game, attempts to communicate facts about sustainable nutrition to a young adult target group that is not environmentally aware. The second example is an interactive exhibition which provides personalized tips for reducing the individual footprint based on a lifestyle analysis. The third project uses targeted storytelling and immersion to achieve long-term and reproducible storage of knowledge (Dahlstrom 2014) The educational panorama trail “Zwischenhalt Zukunft”, is a multi-media interpretive environment (Paraizo 2011) where scientific visions of the future are brought to life with images overlaying the existing landscape and with audio installations. The last example is the narrative environment “Erdreich” (Bättig-Frey et al 2018). It operates with the same methodology as “Zwischenhalt Zukunft” but focuses on soil. By using this more tangible subject, information on climate change can be communicated without overwhelming – and putting off - visitors with the complexity of the politically charged debate around climate change. All these projects are developed in an interdisciplinary team, where natural and social scientists, communication experts, artists, landscape architects and graphic designers work together during the whole project. The team creates outdoor spaces with interactive exhibits and garden elements, that invite visitors to immerse themselves in a landscape of visual impressions, sounds and stories. Instead of a purely factual information transfer, these “narrative environments” tell a story that convey scientific content in a playful, affective way. Facts and complex correlations become meaningful and tangible, and visitors create their individual relationship with the topics. Attractive settings and immersive experiences create positive emotions that make visitors more receptive (Friedman 2013). They absorb information and are more motivated to think about changes in their own lives. Using these tools thus can help improve the transfer of knowledge from scientists to the public, resulting in a more meaningful debate and ultimately help to establish new sustainable habits, leading to a more resilient society.
URI:	https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/20838
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Bättig-Frey, P., & Jäger, M. U. (2020). Using impact orientation for effective climate communication [Conference presentation]. SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract Booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis), 477. https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf

Bättig-Frey, P. and Jäger, M.U. (2020) ‘Using impact orientation for effective climate communication’, in SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis). Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences, p. 477. Available at: https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf.

P. Bättig-Frey and M. U. Jäger, “Using impact orientation for effective climate communication,” in SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis), Nov. 2020, p. 477. [Online]. Available: https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf

BÄTTIG-FREY, Petra und Monica Ursina JÄGER, 2020. Using impact orientation for effective climate communication. In: SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis) [online]. Conference presentation. Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences. 7 November 2020. S. 477. Verfügbar unter: https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf

Bättig-Frey, Petra, and Monica Ursina Jäger. 2020. “Using Impact Orientation for Effective Climate Communication.” Conference presentation. In SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract Booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis), 477. Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences. https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf.

Bättig-Frey, Petra, and Monica Ursina Jäger. “Using Impact Orientation for Effective Climate Communication.” SGM 2020 Symposium, Abstract Booklet Session 19 (Tackling the Climate Crisis), Swiss Academy of Science : Platform Geosciences, 2020, p. 477, https://geoscience-meeting.ch/sgm2020/wp-content/uploads/abstract_volumes/SGM_2020_Symposium_19.pdf.