The article 《 Improving the Influence of  China’s Climate Change Communication》 written by Professor Zheng Baowei, the director of RUC Research Center of Journalism and Social Development, was published on the ‘Expert Perspective’ column of  Outlook Weekly  magazine (the second issue of this year) issued by Xinhua News Agency on January 9, 2012.

The article describes the research results the Project of China Climate Change Communication led by Director Zheng Baowei has achieved over the past two years in the field of climate change communication .It focuses on some major views from the book  The Theory and Practice of Climate Change Communication -A Study of Communication Strategies on the Issue of Climate Change  edited by Professor Zheng Baowei. It has been the first monograph devoted to climate change communication in China.

In this article, the definition of the theory of climate change communication has been made. As a communication phenomenon, climate change communication is a social communication activity which makes the information of climate change and relevant scientific knowledge grasped and understood by society and the public, aiming at seeking for solutions to the issue of climate change through the transformation of public attitudes and behaviors. In short, climate change communication is a social communication activity related to information and knowledge on climate change, and aims at seeking for solutions to the issue of climate change. The article emphasizes that climate change communication is not only an indispensable form of public opinion on solving the issue of climate change, but also an irreplaceable communication method by which people cope with climate change.

The Project of China Climate Change Communication is the first in China to have launched a project on climate change communication. The project team has edited and published the first research monograph about climate change communication in China, taken the lead in hosting international forums on climate change communication in Cancun, Mexico, and in Durban, South Africa, where the United Nations Climate Change Conference was hosted; they have exerted positive impact at home and abroad and increased international influence of China’s climate change communication.

Attachment: the full text of the article 《  Improving the Influence of  China’s Climate Change Communication》 written by Professor Zheng Baowei

On the international forum of climate communication hosted in Durban, South Africa, the launching activity of my book  The Theory and Practice of Climate Change Communication -A Study of Communication Strategies on the Issue of Climate Change  was held. The book, which is the first research monograph on climate change communication in China, has been generally approved of by participants. The subject of climate change communication also attracted concern of readers at home and abroad.

The phenomenon of climate communication almost generates synchronously with the issue of climate change. At the turn of the century, due to the issue of the climate change becoming increasingly severe and the trend of globalization gradually emerging, it is found that many countries, social organizations, as well as interested parties involved into the problems caused by climate change are consciously or unconsciously using variety of communication techniques and strategies to interpret their own standpoint on and attitudes towards problems on climate change, to participate in discussion and debates over the issue of climate change in the international field and to guide and organize public practical actions into coping with the issue of climate change.

Such communication practices in the field of climate change has also promoted people’s academic exploration on climate change communication as a theory, as well as their theoretical framework on climate change communication as a cross-discipline. Consequently, the theory of climate change communication has gradually entered the academic arena, and aroused the concern of the whole society, especially the scholars from some related natural science disciplines, as well as some social science disciplines such as environmentology, sociology, geography, psychology, political science, journalism and communication.  

In China, although some organizations studying climate change had touched upon the issues related to climate change communication in the process of academic research, it was only in recent years that ‘climate change communication’ had been monographically studied as an independent practical and theoretical issue. At the beginning of 2010, we took the lead in setting up the Project of China Climate Change Communication in our country. It is in the process of this project that we, for the first time, introduced the concept of ‘climate change communication’, and have regarded “climate& communication& interactivity& win-win”as the theme of our project research🦹‍♂️✍🏼，focusing on studying how to achieve positive interaction and win-win cooperation among the parties participating in climate change communication, which, therefore, started the process of studying the theory of climate change communication.    

In the study of climate change communication, the primary problem to be solved is the object and positioning of the study.It was brought up the idea by someone that the term ‘environmental communication’ could cover the term ‘climate communication’. However, we understand that the concept of climate communication covers a much richer connotation than that of environmental communication. President Hu Jintao pointed out that, ‘Climate change is not only the issue of environment, but also the issue of development, and in the final analysis, it is the issue of development’. Such thesis, being high nature positioning on the issue of climate, has linked the issue of climate with the country's economic and social development. By inference, climate communication touches upon not only the issue of environmental communication, but also a wider range of development communication issues.

As a communication phenomenon, the so-called ‘climate change communication’ is a social communication activity which makes the information of climate change and relevant scientific knowledge grasped and understood by society and public, aiming at seeking for solutions to the issue of climate change through the transformation of public attitudes and behaviors. In short, climate change communication is a social communication activity related to information and knowledge on climate change, and aims at seeking for solutions to the issue of climate change. The purpose is to better popularize the related knowledge and the ideas of climate change communication, thus to attract attention on the issue of climate change from society and the public and to arouse everyone to participate in the exploration of practices and theories of climate change communication, based on which people are guided to consciously contribute themselves to actions of adapting to climate change, and ultimately seek for solutions to the issue of climate change.    

Professor Anthony Leiserowitz, the director of the project of climate change communication of Yale University, for example, has insisted on conducting investigations on the public’ s awareness of climate change communication for many years , the purpose of which is to make the public aware of the impact the understanding of knowledge about climate change and climate communication has had on our daily life and to initiate people to take active actions to address the issue of climate change.

This year, the project of china’s climate change communication will focus on conducting ‘an investigation on national public’s awareness of climate change and climate communication’ ) , making sure that the study of climate change communication will be carried out among the people, thus to mobilize the whole society to participate in responding to and addressing the issue of climate change.

The final solutions to the issue of climate change communication depend on not only the sincere participation and positive action of the public, but also the involvement of social organizations such as government, media, enterprises and NGOs(non-governmental organizations). For this reason, the study of climate change communication should regard the academic support from the social organizations as a vital target.    In order to promote the positive interaction and achieve the goal of win-win cooperation among the social organizations, the study should focus on determining the role of social organizations, giving full play of the influence of climate change communication and realizing its communication goal.

Specific to climate change communication of our country, the government, as a leader, should further strengthen its communication with media and NGOs, improving the quality and effect of the interaction and better playing the leading role. Media, as a medium of information and a mean of public opinion, needs to further adjust the strategy, improve the method and enhance the effectiveness of communication, especially the power of communication, thus to enable the news reports to generate greater international influence and to give full play of the function of agenda-setting and guiding the public opinion.

As an indispensable part in communication, Enterprises, which can pass on their efforts made on energy saving and emission reduction  by  communication to seek for understanding and support from the society and the public, shoulder great responsibility on achieving such goals as application of green energy, development of environmental technologies and practices of energy saving and emission reduction . As for NGOs, they should further strengthen the communication with the government, the media as well as foreign counterparts to better make their voices heard and to promote international understanding of China.

(The author is the leader of the project of China's Climate Change Communication, the director of RUC Research Center of Journalism and Social Development, professor responsibility and doctoral tutor of RUC School of Journalism, a committee member of the Social Science Research Council under the Ministry of Education, as well as the president of the National Journalism Research Council)