Communicating with the middle

Communicating with the middle

Many of us are only moderately concerned about climate issues, and often we have our plates full just getting through life. How do we best communicate with this group?

Norwegians are not a nation of climate deniers. At CICERO, we have asked around 4,000 Norwegians annually since 2018 whether they believe human activity affects the climate. Only 10 percent say no. At the same time, our survey shows that around 60 per cent believe they have a personal responsibility to cut their own emissions, while only 40 per cent believe they have a responsibility to support policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Half of us oppose increasing the price of oil, diesel, and petrol.

Instead, Norwegians are skeptical about some of the measures introduced to reduce emissions. A Yale survey shows that only 41 percent of Norwegians support phasing out fossil fuels. Even people in Saudi Arabia show more support, at 47 per cent.

We believe—and this is just our belief, as there is no research on this—that the narrative of the oil industry is strong: Norway is an environmental nation, our oil and gas are the cleanest in the world (which they are not always), oil gives us fantastic welfare benefits (which it does), and Norwegian emissions are tiny compared to China. This makes it easy to think that someone else should sort it out.

But what we do have research on is what explains more active resistance to climate measures such as taxes on petrol, meat, reduced oil exploration, etc. Again, this is based on CICERO’s climate survey. Firstly, we know a powerful correlation exists between opposition to various measures. If you oppose taxes on red meat, you are almost guaranteed to oppose reduced oil activity.

The most prominent common denominator is not age, gender, whether they live in the city or countryside. Instead, it is the fear of the new. Xenophobia. Fear of the unfamiliar. These people want to continue living the way they always have, eating the same food, and maintaining habits and customs. These people see everything new as a threat to what they perceive as a good society. These people are not “deplorables”. You can find them among the sweetest, kindest people you know. Those who always stand up for friends and family. But they want to eat meat balls and drive their diesel cars in peace.

It is entirely possible to talk to these people about climate, but you cannot go straight to the point. You have to take some detours to reach the goal.

Issues like stopping oil production, carbon pricing, and wind turbines occupy a lot of space in the national climate debate. However, these big and important questions rarely affect our daily lives. Even though people in other parts of the world experience acute climate disasters, this doesn’t generate a strong enough sense of urgency among many Norwegians to change their behavior.

But there is hope. It is much easier to get people involved in solving their everyday problems rather than global issues.

Given that communication should help reduce emissions, it must contribute to changing actions. Here, we present five statements worth reflecting on when filmmakers, municipalities, directorates, action groups, local businesses, etc., build communication around products and policy measures. The advice is partly based on our own and others’ experiences, partly on current communication trends, and partly on research.

Don’t Talk About Climate All the Time

Even if a measure helps reduce climate emissions, that aspect isn’t the most important for many of us. Many of us drive electric cars simply because they are cheaper. We install heat pumps and add insulation because electricity is expensive. We eat vegetables because they taste good. The new, great service a rehab center offers is more important than the building being made of solid wood with a high Breeam score. For many, a new bike shed by the ferry is more about health and fresh air than saving the climate. Fewer cars on the road can be more about kids walking to school safely than reducing climate emissions. Restrictions on land use can be important simply to preserve the beauty of the landscape people use for recreation.

Communicating multiple reasons to participate in climate-smart actions can generate greater enthusiasm for emission-reducing measures and behaviors. When Lofoten was creating a climate strategy, they involved and communicated with all possible sectors. Many measures addressed completely different problems, but they all contributed to reducing emissions. This brings us to the next point:

Everything is a Climate Issue

Didn’t we say not to talk about climate all the time? At the same time, many issues have a climate dimension. Transport, food, and buildings are apparent, but communication about transition can also happen on a small scale. Getting people involved in small changes can pave the way for more significant changes later.

Improving a community involves a series of big and small changes. Many of these can increase or reduce emissions. No one moves to a new place because they are so good at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But many move to places where it’s good to live. Or want to participate in measures that make the village or neighborhood better. If these also reduce emissions, that’s a nice bonus. For some. (See the previous point.)

It Does Not Have to Hurt

“People are dying from floods in Pakistan, and if you don’t immediately stop eating meat, flying to the Med, and start biking to work, even more will die next year! Haven’t you understood anything?!”

Are you really excited and motivated now? Some might be, but not enough of us.

If your communication about climate always has a dark backdrop, it can be heavy for both the sender and the receiver. We know that people are generally more motivated by (their own) opportunities than by avoiding (others’) losses. We also know that people are more afraid of losing than they are excited about the possibility of winning. So how do we best utilize these two personal traits?

Campaigns that manage to engage and excite people into changing their behavior, often link communication to a vision people find attractive. It can be about developing the community, new opportunities or jobs, an easier everyday life, a cleaner local environment, and so on. Again, we are back to solving everyday problems and creating the best place to live. Green business development that creates new jobs, better public health, and good community development doesn’t hurt. It motivates.

You Must Outsmart the National Climate Troll

If you, through your communication, place the planet’s and the nation’s challenges on the recipients’ shoulders, you quickly end up in polarized discussions that are difficult to handle.

The big national discussions about increased taxes, various bans, and the phasing out of oil production are well-suited for polarization. Polarization is the big national climate troll that eats local engagement for breakfast.

Communicating about the part of the solution your audience is responsible for and where they live makes it easier to isolate your messages from the national climate troll. Talk about the local challenges and benefits and why this audience should help solve this particular challenge.

Let People Have Their Opinions in Peace

It’s tempting to interpret an individual’s change in behavior as proof of a desire to live more climate-friendly. Don’t do that. You might be driving an electric car because the emissions are lower, others because they are cheaper. You might bike to work because it’s climate-friendly, while others bike to lose weight. Don’t attribute others’ actions to your motivations. Instead, enjoy that more and more people are changing their behavior and let people have their motivations in peace.

We know people who identify as far from the environmental movement but still drive electric cars, save on electricity, and make holidays without significant emissions. Telling these people that they are doing this “for the climate,” that they support the environmental movement, or that they should identify with “climate-friendly” people can make them resist further changes.

Remember that some people make choices that break with social norms in the environments they belong to. Applaud them for that. Don’t expect them to also break with the attitudes of the same group. Then, the cost of driving an electric car quickly becomes very high.