Misplaced Pages

#306693

112-583: The Climate Council is Australia's leading climate change communications non-profit organisation and was formed to provide independent, authoritative information on climate change and its solutions to the Australian public. It advocates reducing greenhouse gas emissions . It was created by former members of the Climate Commission after it was abolished by the Abbott government in 2013. It

224-495: A just transition that addresses these concerns. Recently, an energy crisis is upon the nations of Europe as a result of dependence on Russia's natural gas, which was cut off during the Russia-Ukraine war. This goes to show that humanity is still heavily dependent on fossil fuel energy sources and care should be taken to have a smooth transition, less energy-shortage shocks cripple the very efforts to effectively energise

336-426: A goal to achieve in the future – not as a concept to analyse past trends. When looking at the sheer amount of energy being used by humankind, the picture is one of ever-increasing consumption of all the main energy sources available to humankind. For instance, the increased use of coal in the 19th century did not replace wood consumption, indeed more wood was burned. Another example is the deployment of passenger cars in

448-438: A group of experts specific to it. Most climate communication and research within the field is concerned with (1) the mechanisms related to the public's understanding/awareness of and perception of climate change which are intertwined with (2) personal cultural values and emotions related to social norms and (3) how these components can influence the engagement and action that may emerge as a response to communication. Within

560-497: A high integration of wind and solar energy. They can be addressed by operating reserves . Large-scale batteries can react within seconds and are increasingly used to keep the electricity grid stable. 100% renewable energy is the goal of the use renewable resources for all energy. 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling and transport is motivated by climate change , pollution and other environmental issues, as well as economic and energy security concerns. Shifting

672-610: A lack of attention to conversations concerning changing rhetoric used to discuss climate change and other environmental problems. Experts believe research needs to be done in this area and then it could be applied to climate communication and could be effective in creating better messaging that spurs greater engagement and action. Climate change exacerbates a number of existing public health issues, such as mosquito-borne disease , and introduces new public health concerns related to changing climate, such as increase in health concerns after natural disasters or increases in heat illnesses . Thus

784-467: A new field of scholarship that truly emerged in the 1990s. In the late 80s and early 90s, research in developed countries (e.g. the United States, New Zealand, and Sweden) was largely concerned with studying the public's perception and comprehension of climate change science, models, and risks and guiding further development of communication strategies. These studies showed that while the public

896-471: A nonprofit, published in 2020 a set of guidelines based on evidence for climate communications. They recommend that visual communications include: Psychologists have increasingly been assisting the worldwide community in facing the difficult challenge of organizing effective climate change mitigation efforts. Much work has been done on how to best communicate climate related information so that it has positive psychological impact, leading to people engaging in

1008-617: A policy framework, the Africa Mining Vision, to leverage the continent's mineral reserves in pursuit of sustainable development and socio-economic transformation. Achieving these goals requires mineral-rich African economies to transition from commodity export to manufacture of higher value-added products. From 2010 to 2019, the competitiveness of wind and solar power substantially increased. Unit costs of solar energy dropped sharply by 85%, wind energy by 55%, and lithium-ion batteries by 85%. This has made wind and solar power

1120-935: A real city in Norway —found that non-response was much more complex than just a lack of information. In fact, too much information can do the exact opposite because people tend to neglect global warming once they realize there is no easy solution. When people understand the complexity of the issue, they can feel overwhelmed and helpless which can lead to apathy or skepticism . A study published in PLOS Climate studied defensive and secure forms of national identity —respectively called "national narcissism" and "secure national identification" —for their correlation to support for policies to mitigate climate change and to transition to renewable energy. The researchers concluded that secure national identification tends to support policies promoting renewable energy; however, national narcissism

1232-480: A scarcity of accessible (e.g. affordable) wood, and eighteenth century glass-works "operated like a forest clearing enterprise". When Britain had to resort to coal after largely having run out of wood, the resulting fuel crisis triggered a chain of events that two centuries later culminated in the Industrial Revolution . Similarly, increased use of peat and coal were vital elements paving the way for

SECTION 10

#1732783347307

1344-495: A sense of balance. Further research has explored how popular media, like the film The Day After Tomorrow , popular documentary An Inconvenient Truth , and climate fiction change public perceptions of climate change. Effective climate communications require audience and contextual awareness. Different organizations have published guides and frameworks based on experience in climate communications. This section documents those various guidelines. A 2009 handbook developed by

1456-469: A single repetition of a claim was sufficient to increase the perceived truth of both climate science-aligned claims and climate change skeptic/denial claims—"highlighting the insidious effect of repetition". This effect was found even among climate science endorsers. Though communicating the science about climate change under the premises of an Information deficit model of communication is not very effective in creating change, comfort with and literacy in

1568-436: A single year to be reallocated to provide oil and gas workers with a new career of approximately equivalent pay. In non-electrified rural areas, the deployment of solar mini-grids can significantly improve electricity access. Employment opportunities by the green transition are associated with the use of renewable energy sources or building activity for infrastructure improvements and renovations. Another important driver

1680-404: A third change to strict conservation and to the renewed use of coal and to permanent renewable energy sources like solar power ." The term was later globalised after the 1979 second oil shock, during the 1981 United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy. From the 1990s, debates on energy transition have increasingly taken climate change mitigation into account. Parties to

1792-438: A variety of voices as increasing climate change's relevance to society. Surveys through the mid-2010s showed mixed concern for climate change depending on global region —notably consistent concern in developed Western countries but a trend towards global unconcern in countries such as China, Mexico, and Kenya. In 2016, Moser noted an increase in the total number of climate communication studies in both Westernized countries and

1904-623: A whole. Engagement can also involve how those who communicate climate change interact with researchers studying the field of communications. Studies have recognized that increased understanding and perception does not automatically produce action and have argued for increased means of enabling action in communication methods. Research into engagement and action often focuses on the perception and understanding of different demographics and geographic locations. Some politicians, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger with his slogan "terminate pollution", say that activists should generate optimism by focusing on

2016-543: Is energy security and independence, with increasing importance in Europe and Taiwan because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Unlike Europes 2010s dependence on Russian gas, even if China stops supplying solar panels those already installed continue generating electricity. Militaries are using and developing electric vehicles, particularly for their stealthiness, but not tanks . As of 2023 renewable energy in Taiwan

2128-563: Is Australia’s largest local government climate network. Over 125 local governments - representing over 50% of Australians, have joined the Cities Power Partnership. Local councils who join the partnership make five action pledges in either renewable energy, efficiency, transport or working in partnership to tackle climate change. As of 2020, over 650 pledges have been made by local councils to take decisive climate and energy action. Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA)

2240-590: Is a major structural change to energy supply and consumption in an energy system . Currently, a transition to sustainable energy is underway to limit climate change . Most of the sustainable energy is renewable energy . Therefore, another term for energy transition is renewable energy transition . The current transition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy quickly and sustainably, mostly by phasing-down fossil fuels and changing as many processes as possible to operate on low carbon electricity . A previous energy transition perhaps took place during

2352-595: Is a project supported by the Climate Council, started in 2019. Led by Climate Councillor and former Commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW, Greg Mullins , ELCA is a coalition of 33 former senior fire and emergency service leaders, representing every fire service in Australia and a number of SES and land management agencies. Their activities aim to protect Australian communities from increasingly frequent and damaging extreme weather events. In July 2020, ELCA released

SECTION 20

#1732783347307

2464-477: Is aiming for 200 GW by 2035, produced by 150 additional reactors. With the switch to clean energy sources where power is generated via electricity, end uses of energy such as transportation and heating need to be electrified to run on these clean energy sources. Concurrent with this switch is an expansion of the grid to handle larger amounts of generated electricity to supply to these end uses. Two key areas of electrification are electric vehicles and heat pumps. It

2576-422: Is by lobbying local and national governments. Historically, the fossil fuel lobby has been highly successful in limiting regulations. From 1988 to 2005, Exxon Mobil , one of the largest oil companies in the world, spent nearly $ 16 million in anti-climate change lobbying and providing misleading information about climate change to the general public. The fossil fuel industry acquires significant support through

2688-487: Is concerned with analyzing public understanding and risk perception. Understanding public perception of risk and its relevant influences, as well as public knowledge, concern, consensus, and imagery is thought to help policymakers better address the concerns of constituents and inform further climate communication. This notion has opened the realm of climate communications to political communications , sociology , and psychology . Achieving increased public understanding

2800-447: Is easier to sustainably produce electricity than it is to sustainably produce liquid fuels. Therefore, adoption of electric vehicles is a way to make transport more sustainable. While electric vehicle technology is relatively mature in road transport, electric shipping and aviation are still early in their development, hence sustainable liquid fuels may have a larger role to play in these sectors. A key sustainable solution to heating

2912-428: Is economically important in some regions, and a transition to renewables would decrease its viability and could have severe impacts on the communities that rely on this business. Not only do these communities face energy poverty already, but they also face economic collapse when the coal mining businesses move elsewhere or disappear altogether. This broken system perpetuates the poverty and vulnerability that decreases

3024-520: Is electrification ( heat pumps , or the less efficient electric heater ). The IEA estimates that heat pumps currently provide only 5% of space and water heating requirements globally, but could provide over 90%. Use of ground source heat pumps not only reduces total annual energy loads associated with heating and cooling, it also flattens the electric demand curve by eliminating the extreme summer peak electric supply requirements. However, heat pumps and resistive heating alone will not be sufficient for

3136-404: Is expected to reshape geopolitical power by reducing reliance on long-distance fossil fuel trade and enhancing the importance of regional energy markets. A renewable energy transition can present negative social impacts for some people who rely on the existing energy economy or who are affected by mining for minerals required for the transition. This has led to calls for a just transition , which

3248-524: Is far too small to help in a blockade. Centralised facilities such as oil refineries and thermal power plants can be put out of action by air attack, whereas although solar can be attacked decentralised power such as solar and wind may be less vulnerable. Solar and batteries reduces risky fuel convoys. However large hydropower plants are vulnerable. Some say that nuclear power plants are unlikely to be military targets, but others conclude that civil NPPs in war zones can be weaponised and exploited by

3360-470: Is feasible and economically viable. A cross-sectoral, holistic approach is seen as an important feature of 100% renewable energy systems and is based on the assumption "that the best solutions can be found only if one focuses on the synergies between the sectors" of the energy system such as electricity, heat, transport or industry. In the 1970s and 1980s, nuclear power gained a large share in some countries . In France and Slovakia more than half of

3472-774: Is funded by donations from the public. The Australian Government, under the ruling Labor Party , formed the Climate Commission in February 2011 to act as an independent advisory group to report on the science of climate change . Following the Australian federal election in September 2013, the Labor Party lost power to the Liberal/National coalition , with Tony Abbott installed as Prime Minister . On 19 September 2013, Abbott instructed his ministers to disband

Climate Council - Misplaced Pages Continue

3584-511: Is often associated with communicating levels of scientific consensus and other scientific facts or futures in order to spur action and address the "information-deficit" model but can also be related to connecting with values and emotions. Perception is often related to personal recognition to impacted locations, times (the present vs. the future), weather events, or economics, which has placed emphasis on different methods of framing (linking concepts) and rhetoric when communicating. Connection of

3696-445: Is predicted to become a driver of sustainable economic development. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified 37 minerals as critical for clean energy technologies and estimates that by 2050 global demand for these will increase by 235 per cent. Africa has large reserves of many of these so-called "green minerals, such as bauxite , cobalt , copper , chromium , manganese and graphite . The African Union has outlined

3808-493: Is processed. Emotional reactions to climate change and the role emotions can play in decision-making have encouraged researchers to study the emotional side of climate change. Appeals to emotions (such as fear and hope) and to values can also be used in communication strategies. It is unclear whether negative emotions (e.g. concern and fear) or positive emotions (e.g. hope) better promote climate change action. Emotions can also be analyzed by their level of pleasantness and/or to

3920-674: Is required to mitigate the effects of climate change . Coal, oil and gas combustion account for 89% of CO 2 emissions and still provide 78% of primary energy consumption. Despite the knowledge about the risks of climate change and the increasing number of climate policies adopted since the 1980s, however, energy transitions have not accelerated towards decarbonization beyond historical trends and remain far off track in achieving climate targets. The deployment of renewable energy can generate co-benefits of climate change mitigation : positive socio-economic effects on employment, industrial development, health and energy access. Depending on

4032-772: The Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at the Earth Institute at Columbia University describes eight main principles for communications based on the psychological research about Environmental decisions: A strategy playbook, developed based on lessons learned from the COVID pandemic communication, was released On Road Media in the UK in 2020. The framework is focused on developing positive messages that help people feel optimistic about learning more to address climate change. This framework included six recommendations: In 2018,

4144-506: The Climate Institute , speaking in support of the Climate Council, cited the need for an organisation to "hold account perhaps the government at times". As an independent climate science research and communications organisation, the Climate Council is able to provide authoritative, expert advice to the Australian public on climate change and solutions based on the most up-to-date science available. This independence also means that

4256-558: The Dutch Golden Age , roughly spanning the entire 17th century. Another example where resource depletion triggered technological innovation and a shift to new energy sources is 19th century whaling : whale oil eventually became replaced by kerosene and other petroleum-derived products. To speed up the energy transition it is also conceivable that there will be government buyouts or bailouts of coal mining regions. A rapid energy transition to very-low or zero-carbon sources

4368-509: The Global South and an increased focus on climate communication with indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities since 2010. As of 2017, research remained focused on public understanding and had since begun to also analyze the relevance of the media , conceptual framing, public engagement and response, and persuasive strategies. This expansion has legitimated climate change communication as its own academic field and has yielded

4480-551: The Global South and have been focused on climate communication with marginalized populations. Most research focuses on raising public knowledge and awareness, understanding underlying cultural values and emotions, and bringing about public engagement and action. Major issues include familiarity with the audience, barriers to public understanding, creating change, audience segmentation, changing rhetoric, public health, storytelling, media coverage , and popular culture . scholar Amy E. Chadwick identifies Climate Change Communication as

4592-491: The IPCC defines as, "A set of principles, processes and practices that aim to ensure that no people, workers, places, sectors, countries or regions are left behind in the transition from a high-carbon to a low carbon economy ." Use of local energy sources may stabilise and stimulate some local economies, create opportunities for energy trade between communities, states and regions, and increase energy security . Coal mining

Climate Council - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-458: The IPCC published a handbook of guidance for IPCC authors about effective climate communication. It is based on extensive social studies research exploring the impact of different tactics for climate communication. The guidelines focus on six main principles: A 2018 study concluded that graphical illustrations such as charts and graphs more effectively overcome misperceptions than the same information presented in text. Separately, Climate Visuals

4816-519: The Industrial Revolution from 1760 onwards, from wood and other biomass to coal , followed by oil and later natural gas . Over three-quarters of the world's energy needs are met by burning fossil fuels , but this usage emits greenhouse gases. Energy production and consumption are responsible for most human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, emissions must be reduced as soon as possible and reach net-zero by mid-century. Since

4928-672: The adaptive capacity of coal mining communities. Potential mitigation could include expanding the program base for vulnerable communities to assist with new training programs, opportunities for economic development and subsidies to assist with the transition. Increasing energy prices resulting from an energy transition may negatively impact developing countries including Vietnam and Indonesia. Increased mining for lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and other critical minerals needed for expansion of renewable energy infrastructure has created increased environmental conflict and environmental justice issues for some communities. A large portion of

5040-465: The chemical industry with an expected large-scale implementation by 2025. A shift in energy sources has the potential to redefine relations and dependencies between countries, stakeholders and companies. Countries or land owners with resources – fossil or renewable – face massive losses or gains depending on the development of any energy transition. In 2021, energy costs reached 13% of global gross domestic product . Global rivalries have contributed to

5152-666: The cooling effect of airborne particulates in air pollution . Scientists used the term inadvertent climate modification to refer to human impacts on the climate at this time. In the 1980s, the terms global warming and climate change became more common, often being used interchangeably. Scientifically, global warming refers only to increased surface warming, while climate change describes both global warming and its effects on Earth's climate system , such as precipitation changes. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass , author and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer has suggested that

5264-545: The energy transition and enable people, businesses, local councils and communities to enact change. In July 2020, the Climate Council released its Clean Jobs Plan jobs modelling with consulting firm AlphaBeta. It identified 12 policy options that could create 76,000 jobs around Australia. The modelling finds 15,000 jobs could be created in installing large-scale renewable energy, such as solar and wind farms. Some 12,000 jobs could be created in ecosystem restoration and another 12,000 jobs in public transport construction. The report

5376-509: The 20th century. This evolution triggered an increase in both oil consumption (to drive the car) and coal consumption (to make the steel needed for the car). In other words, according to this approach, humankind never performed a single energy transition in its history but performed several energy additions. Contemporary energy transitions differ in terms of motivation and objectives, drivers and governance. As development progressed, different national systems became more and more integrated becoming

5488-521: The Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan that provides recommendations about how to better protect Australia from the worsening impacts of climate change. Climate communication Research in the field emerged in the 1990s and has since grown and diversified to include studies concerning the media, conceptual framing, and public engagement and response. Since the late 2000s, a growing number of studies have been conducted in countries in

5600-649: The Climate Commission. Among the reasons given for closing the Commission were to "streamline government processes and avoid duplication of services", and to save the A$ 1.6 million per year spent in operating the Commission. Responsibility for advising the government on climate change was consolidated under the Bureau of Meteorology . Following the announcement that the Climate Commission was to be wound up, there

5712-537: The Climate Council declared an annual revenue of A$ 7.88 Million and 44.1 full time equivalent staff. The 2018/19 financial year saw the Climate Council’s number of core members (weekly and monthly regular donors) grow to over 4,800 people with the average regular donation standing at $ 28. Tim Flannery is frequently cited as having stated that: "Our independence is central to our credibility, so if people do donate, don't try to influence what we do". Mark Wootton of

SECTION 50

#1732783347307

5824-417: The Climate Council is able to hold Australia's leaders and government to account in pursuing meaningful climate action. For example, during Black Summer , when Australia experience unprecedented bushfires, the Climate Council was a commentator in the media making sure that the connection between the bushfires and climate change were explicitly made. In March 2020, the Climate Council released ‘Summer of Crisis’,

5936-583: The United States, and individuals introduces misinformation into public discourse and understanding. There are several models for explaining why the public doesn't act once more informed. One of the theoretical models for this is the 5 Ds model created by Per Epsten Stoknes . Stoknes describes 5 major barriers to creating action from climate communication: In her book Living in Denial: Climate Change, Emotions, and Everyday Life , Kari Norgaard 's study of Bygdaby—a fictional name used for

6048-419: The academic field, there are debates over which is more important: knowledge-based communication or emotion-driven communication. Though both are inherently linked to action, researchers often view increased understanding as leading to increased action. A 2020 study by Kris De Meyer et al. attempts to push back against that notion and argues that action produces belief. One line of climate communication study

6160-745: The agreement committed "to limit global warming to "well below 2 °C, preferably 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels". This requires a rapid energy transition with a downshift of fossil fuel production to stay within the carbon emissions budget . In this context, the term energy transition encompasses a reorientation of energy policy . This could imply a shift from centralized to distributed generation. It also includes attempts to replace overproduction and avoidable energy consumption with energy-saving measures and increased efficiency . The historical transitions from locally supplied wood, water and wind energies to globally supplied fossil and nuclear fuels has induced growth in end-use demand through

6272-417: The cheapest form for new installations in many regions. Levelized costs for combined onshore wind or solar with storage for a few hours are already lower than for gas peaking power plants . In 2021, the new electricity generating capacity of renewables exceeded 80% of all installed power. The emissions reductions necessary to keep global warming below 2   °C will require a system-wide transformation of

6384-573: The country and the deployment scenario, replacing coal power plants can more than double the number of jobs per average MW capacity. The energy transition could create many green jobs , for example in Africa. The costs for retraining workers for the renewable energy industry was found to be trivial for both coal in the U.S. and oil sands in Canada. The latter of which would only demand 2–6% of federal, provincial, and territorial oil and gas subsidies for

6496-445: The dependence on local weather conditions. With highly variable prices, electricity storage and grid extension become more competitive. Researchers have found that "costs for accommodating the integration of variable renewable energy sources in electricity systems are expected to be modest until 2030". Furthermore, "it will be more challenging to supply the entire energy system with renewable energy". Fast fluctuations increase with

6608-408: The driving forces of the economics behind the low carbon energy transition. Technological innovations developed within a country have the potential to become an economic force. The energy transition discussion is heavily influenced by contributions from the fossil fuel industries . One way that oil companies are able to continue their work despite growing environmental, social and economic concerns

6720-527: The effects of communication modes. Understanding and relating to the audiences' moral, cultural, religious, and political values, identities, and emotions (like fear) are viewed as imperative to appropriate and effective communication because climate change can otherwise seem intangible due to uncertainty and distance (physical, social, temporal). Recognizing and understanding these values is key to impacting perception of climate science and mitigative action because values serve as filters through which information

6832-417: The efforts to organize the unprecedentedly successful 2015 Paris Agreement , have since campaigned to spread the view that a "stubborn optimism" mindset should ideally be part of an individual's psychological response to the climate change challenge. A study from 2020 found that persuasive messaging that explains the mechanisms behind climate change, rather than the risks or consequences of climate change,

SECTION 60

#1732783347307

6944-518: The electrical power is still nuclear. It is a low carbon energy source but comes with risks and increasing costs. Since the late 1990s, deployment has slowed down. Decommissioning increases as many reactors are close to the end of their lifetime or long before because of anti-nuclear sentiments. Germany stopped its last three nuclear power plants by mid April 2023. On the other hand, the China General Nuclear Power Group

7056-409: The electrification of industrial heat. This because in several processes higher temperatures are required which cannot be achieved with these types of equipment. For example, for the production of ethylene via steam cracking temperatures as high as 900 °C are required. Hence, drastically new processes are required. Nevertheless, power-to-heat is expected to be the first step in the electrification of

7168-475: The environment. Through teaching about the interconnectedness of humans and nature, some environmental writers believe that a fundamental shift in thinking is possible, and that this in turn would lead to greater desire to preserve the natural world. In addition to studies regarding knowledge, climate communication researchers inspect existing values and emotions related to climate change and how they are impacted by various communication strategies and can influence

7280-435: The environmental communications evidence for effecting individual or social change were focused on behavior changes around: household energy consumption , recycling behaviours, changing transportation behavior and buying green products. At that time, there were few examples of multi-level communications strategies for effecting change. Since much of Climate communication is focused on engaging broad public action, much of

7392-401: The evidence they would act"—doesn't work. Instead, argumentation theory indicates that different audiences need different kinds of persuasive argumentation and communication. This is counter to many assumptions made by other fields such as psychology , environmental sociology , and risk communication . Additionally, climate denialism by organizations, such as The Heartland Institute in

7504-503: The existing banking and investment structure. The concept that the industry should no longer be financially supported has led to the social movement known as divestment. Divestment is defined as the removal of investment capital from stocks, bonds or funds in oil, coal and gas companies for both moral and financial reasons. Banks, investing firms, governments, universities, institutions and businesses are all being challenged with this new moral argument against their existing investments in

7616-670: The extent they evoke action, which is often understudied. Studying climate communications can also be focused on civic engagement and the production of behavior changes for adapting or increasing resiliency to climate change. Engagement and action can occur on multiple geographic scales (local, regional, national, or international), and examples include participation in climate justice movements, support for policies or politics, changes to agricultural practices, and addresses to vulnerabilities to extreme weather vulnerabilities. Behavioral changes can also address more fundamental norms and values that influence lifestyles, life choices, and society as

7728-537: The facilitation of emotional processing and reflective functioning. When this occurs, individuals increase in tolerance to emotion and resilience, and are then able to support others through crisis. Framing climate change information as a story has been shown to be an effective form of communication. In a 2019 study, climate change narratives structured as stories were better at inspiring pro-environmental behavior. The researchers propose that these climate stories spark action by allowing each experimental subject to process

7840-548: The field of health communication has long acknowledged the importance of treating climate change as a public health issue, requiring broad population behavior changes that allow societal climate change adaptation . A December 2008 article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine recommended using two broad sets of tools to effect this change: communication and social marketing . A 2018 study, found that even with moderates and conservatives who were skeptical of

7952-410: The first comprehensive overview of the summer’s devastating impacts. To date, the Climate Council has published over 100 research report. The Climate Council states its mission as "a courageous catalyst propelling Australia towards bold, effective action to tackle the climate crisis." The Climate Council has three goals: making sure climate change remains on the agenda, inspiring public engagement around

8064-704: The fossil fuel industry and many; such as Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the University of California, New York City and more; have begun making the shift to more sustainable, eco-friendly investments. In 2024 the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projected that by 2050, over half of the world's energy will be carried by electricity and over three-quarters of the global energy mix will be from renewables. Although overtaken by both biomass and clean hydrogen, fossil fuels were still projected to supply 12% of energy. The transition

8176-409: The global workforce works directly or indirectly for the fossil fuel economy . Moreover, many other industries are currently dependent on unsustainable energy sources (such as the steel industry or cement and concrete industry ). Transitioning these workforces during the rapid period of economic change requires considerable forethought and planning. The international labor movement has advocated for

8288-521: The growth potential of this technology is limited. Wind and solar power are considered more scalable, but still require vast quantities of land and materials. They have higher potential for growth. These sources have grown nearly exponentially in recent decades thanks to rapidly decreasing costs. In 2019, wind power supplied 5.3% worldwide electricity while solar power supplied 2.6%. While production from most types of hydropower plants can be actively controlled, production from wind and solar power depends on

8400-429: The health co-benefits of climate action. Climate communications is heavily focused on methods for inviting larger scale public action to address climate change . To this end, a lot of research focuses on barriers to public understanding and action on climate change. Scholarly evidence shows that the information deficit model of communication—where climate change communicators assume "if the public only knew more about

8512-404: The hostile forces not only for impeding energy supplies (and thus shattering the public morale of the adversary) but also for blackmailing and coercing the decisionmakers of the attacked state and their international allies with a vision of man-made nuclear disaster. For many developing economies, for example in the mineral-rich countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, the transition to renewable energies

8624-493: The importance of sustainable development in addressing these differences. In 2019 the nonprofit, Climate and Development Knowledge Network published a set of lessons learned and guidelines based on their experience communicating climate change in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Research centers in climate communication include: Energy transition An energy transition (or energy system transformation )

8736-510: The importance of climate change, exposure to information about the health impacts of climate change creates greater concern about the issues. Climate change is also expected to impact mental health significantly. With the increase in emotional responses to climate change, there is a growing need for greater resilience and tolerance to emotional experiences. Research has indicated that these emotional experiences can be adaptive when they are supported and processed appropriately. This support requires

8848-644: The information experientially, increasing their affective engagement and leading to emotional arousal. Stories with negative endings, for example, influenced cardiac activity, increasing inter-beat (RR) intervals. The story signalled the brain to be alert and take action against the threat of climate change. A similar study has shown that sharing personal stories about experiences with climate change can convince climate change deniers . Hearing about how climate change has influenced someone's life elicits emotions like worry and compassion, which can shift beliefs about climate change. The effect of mass media and journalism on

8960-534: The installation of energy storage and super grids are vital to enable the use of variable, weather-dependent technologies. However fossil-fuel subsidies are slowing the energy transition. An energy transition is a broad shift in technologies and behaviours that are needed to replace one source of energy with another. A prime example is the change from a pre-industrial system relying on traditional biomass, wind, water and muscle power to an industrial system characterized by pervasive mechanization, steam power and

9072-486: The integration of renewable energy, local electricity production is becoming more variable. It has been recommended that " coupling sectors , energy storage , smart grids , demand side management , sustainable biofuels , hydrogen electrolysis and derivatives will ultimately be needed to accommodate large shares of renewables in energy systems". Fluctuations can be smoothened by combining wind and sun power and by extending electricity grids over large areas . This reduces

9184-419: The integration of renewable energy. By 2040, the grid must expand by more than 80 million kilometers to manage renewable sources, which are projected to account for over 80% of the global power capacity increase over the next two decades. Failure to enhance grid infrastructure timely could lead to an additional 58 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions by 2050, significantly risking a 2°C global temperature rise. With

9296-576: The large, international systems seen today. Historical changes of energy systems have been extensively studied. While historical energy changes were generally protracted affairs, unfolding over many decades, this does not necessarily hold true for the present energy transition, which is unfolding under very different policy and technological conditions. For current energy systems, many lessons can be learned from history. The need for large amounts of firewood in early industrial processes in combination with prohibitive costs for overland transportation led to

9408-497: The largest scale storage technology is pumped storage hydroelectricity , accounting for the great majority of energy storage capacity installed worldwide. Other important forms of energy storage are electric batteries and power to gas . The "Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions" report by the IEA emphasizes the necessity of increasing grid investments to over $ 600 billion annually by 2030, up from $ 300 billion, to accommodate

9520-430: The late 2010s, the renewable energy transition has also been driven by the rapidly falling cost of both solar and wind power . Another benefit of the energy transition is its potential to reduce the health and environmental impacts of the energy industry . Heating of buildings is being electrified , with heat pumps being the most efficient technology by far. To improve the flexibility of electrical grids ,

9632-646: The main issues and topics of climate change is important for changing public opinion and action. Several agencies and educational organizations have developed frameworks and tools for developing climate literacy, including the Climate Literacy Lab at Georgia State university, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Such resources in English have been collected by the Climate Literacy and Awareness Network. As of 2008, most of

9744-516: The media. The Climate Council has also produced a range of communication guides to help other organisations, professionals and community leaders to communicate with the public about climate change and renewable energy solutions. The Climate Council launched the Cities Power Partnership (CPP) in 2017 to provide councils and communities with the technical expertise and advice to transition to a clean, renewable energy future. The CPP

9856-519: The messages more, and thinking the message sender was more likely an expert. However, the researchers stated that people's math anxiety and level of mathematical ability suggested limiting the quantity of numerical information that should be presented. The impacts of climate change are exacerbated in low- and middle income countries; higher levels of poverty, less access to technologies, and less education, means that this audience needs different information. The Paris Agreement and IPCC both acknowledge

9968-506: The mid-2000s to the late 2000s, there is evidence of rising global skepticism despite growing consensus and evidence of increasingly polarized views due to climate change's growing use as a political " litmus test ." In 2010, researcher Susanne C. Moser viewed both the expansion of climate change communication's focus, which began to include subjects such as materialized evidence of climate change effects in addition to science and policy, as well as more prolific conversation/communication from

10080-407: The other suggests the term "energy additions" as better reflecting the changes in global energy supply in the last three centuries. The chronologically first discourse was most broadly described by Vaclav Smil . It underlines the change in the energy mix of countries and the global economy. By looking at data in percentages of the primary energy source used in a given context, it paints a picture of

10192-636: The problem, rather than evoking psychological defenses like denial, distance or a numbing sense of doom. As well as advising on the method of communication, psychologists have investigated the difference it make when the right sort of person is doing the communication – for example, when addressing American conservatives, climate related messages have been shown to be received more positively if delivered by former military officers. Various people who are not primarily psychologists have also been advising on psychological matters related to climate change. For example, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac , who led

10304-448: The public's attitudes towards climate change has been a significant part of communications studies. In particular, scholars have looked at how the media's tendency to cover climate change in different cultural contexts, with different audiences or political positions (for example Fox News 's dismissive coverage of climate change news), and the tendency of newsrooms to cover climate change as an issue of uncertainty or debate, in order to give

10416-493: The rapid expansion of engineering research, education and standardisation. The mechanisms for the whole-systems changes include new discipline in Transition Engineering amongst all engineering professions, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators. Historic approaches to past energy transitions are shaped by two main discourses. One argues that humankind experienced several energy transitions in its past, while

10528-449: The reference. Other renewable energy sources include bioenergy , geothermal energy and tidal energy , but they currently have higher net lifetime costs. By 2022, hydroelectricity is the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, providing 16% of the world's total electricity in 2019. However, because of its heavy dependence on geography and the generally high environmental and social impact of hydroelectric power plants,

10640-410: The research and public advocacy conversations about climate change have focused on the effectiveness of different terms used to describe "global warming". More recently, the focus has shifted to rhetoric describing all aspects and effects of climate change, including human-non-human relationships. Before the 1980s it was unclear whether the warming effect of increased greenhouse gases was stronger than

10752-504: The self with events, such as those mentioned and often times through perceiving problems as local, increases recognition of the larger problem of climate change. These methods of communication presently include scientific communication, knowledge transfer, social media, news media, and entertainment amongst others, which are also studied individually regarding climate change. Some experts focus on how public perceptions of climate change can be related to public perceptions of smaller parts of

10864-460: The sixth Climate Councillor. The Climate Council now has 11 Councillors - experts in a range of fields including climate science, biology, health, bushfires, business, energy, public policy, and more. Additional Climate Councillors who joined the Council include Greg Mullins , Greg Bourne, Hilary Bambrick, Joëlle Gergis , Cheryl Durrant, and Kate Charlesworth. The startup funding for the Council

10976-491: The studies are focused on effecting behavior change. Typically, effective climate communication has three parts: cognitive, affective and place based appeals . Different parts of different populations respond differently to climate change communication. Academic research since 2013 has seen an increasing number of audience segmentation studies, to understand different tactics for reaching different parts of populations. Major segmentation studies include: A significant part of

11088-461: The term energy transition was coined by politicians and media. It was popularised by US President Jimmy Carter in his 1977 Address on the Nation on Energy, calling to "look back into history to understand our energy problem. Twice in the last several hundred years, there has been a transition in the way people use energy ... Because we are now running out of gas and oil , we must prepare quickly for

11200-455: The total global primary energy supply to renewable sources requires a transition of the energy system , since most of today's energy is derived from non-renewable fossil fuels . Research into this topic is fairly new, with few studies published before 2009, but has gained increasing attention in recent years. The majority of studies show that a global transition to 100% renewable energy across all sectors – power, heat, transport and industry –

11312-405: The use of coal. The IPCC does not define energy transition in the glossary of its Sixth Assessment Report but it does define transition as: "The process of changing from one state or condition to another in a given period of time. Transition can occur in individuals, firms, cities, regions and nations, and can be based on incremental or transformative change." After the 1973 oil crisis ,

11424-474: The view of University of Waterloo Professor, Jennifer Clary-Lemon, be damaging to perceptions as they seem to carry a persuasive tone, in favor of seeing these pieces of nature as less than; not recognizing their importance. There is not enough contribution to the field of climate change rhetoric to adequately implement rhetorical changes, despite the presumed effectiveness. Professor of Writing and Rhetoric, Eileen E. Schell of Syracuse University has described

11536-538: The way energy is produced, distributed, stored, and consumed. For a society to replace one form of energy with another, multiple technologies and behaviours in the energy system must change. Many climate change mitigation pathways envision three main aspects of a low-carbon energy system: The most important energy sources in the low carbon energy transition are wind power and solar power . They could reduce net emissions by 4 billion tons CO 2 equivalent per year each, half of it with lower net lifetime costs than

11648-447: The way in which animals and plants are referred to in language, specifically the English language, impact how they are perceived and therefore treated by persons who speak that language. Her ideas have gained attention and inspired other considerations of how language involving non-human species/groups affects views of and actions taken that involve them. The ways animals, plants, rivers, mountains, etc. are expressed in legislation can, in

11760-415: The weather. Electrical grids must be extended and adjusted to avoid wastage. Dammed hydropower is a dispatchable source, while solar and wind are variable renewable energy sources. These sources require dispatchable backup generation or energy storage to provide continuous and reliable electricity. For this reason, storage technologies also play a key role in the renewable energy transition. As of 2020,

11872-433: The world's energy systems as having changed significantly over time, going from biomass to coal, to oil, and now a mix of mostly coal, oil and natural gas. Until the 1950s, the economic mechanism behind energy systems was local rather than global. The second discourse was most broadly described by Jean-Baptiste Fressoz. It emphasises that the term "energy transition" was first used by politicians, not historians, to describe

11984-542: Was a public movement calling for its immediate reinstatement. Former chief commissioner of the Climate Commission, Tim Flannery , along with current CEO and co-founder, Amanda McKenzie , announced on 23 September 2013 that an independent non-profit organisation, the Climate Council, would be launched in its place. The founders of the Climate Council were all former commissioners of the disbanded Climate Commission, including Flannery, Veena Sahajwalla , Lesley Hughes , Will Steffen , and Gerry Hueston. Andrew Stock later joined as

12096-418: Was aware of and beginning to notice climate change effects (increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns), the public's understanding of climate change was interlinked with ozone depletion and other environmental risks but not human-produced CO 2 emissions . This understanding was coupled with varied yet overall increased net concern that continued through the mid-2000s. In studies from

12208-481: Was found to be inversely correlated with support for such policies—except to the extent that such policies, as well as greenwashing , enhance the national image . Right-wing political orientation, which may indicate susceptibility to climate conspiracy beliefs, was also concluded to be negatively correlated with support for genuine climate mitigation policies. A study published in PLOS One in 2024 found that even

12320-404: Was more effective in changing beliefs, especially among conservatives. Noting multiple studies showing that people often prefer receiving numerical details over purely verbal communication, a study by science communicators Ellen Peters and David M. Markowitz reported that participants responded more favorably to messages with precise numeric information on climate change consequences, trusting

12432-493: Was produced to highlight ways to shape Australia's post COVID-19 economic recovery while also addressing the climate crisis. The Climate Council regularly publishes research reports on issues such as extreme weather , climate solutions, health, coal closure and international action. Its reports are used as an source of information for briefing politicians, providing updates to health and emergency services, teaching resources for schools and universities and as background research for

12544-649: Was raised through crowdfunding , with donations opening at midnight on 23 September 2013. By the end of Tuesday 24 September $ 218,000 had been given by 7,200 members of the public. Flannery told The Conversation on the Tuesday that the Council intended to raise $ 500,000 by the end of that first week. By Friday of the first week, in a stronger than expected response, over 20,000 people had donated amounts totalling close to $ 1 million. The Climate Council continues to rely mostly on donors for funding (89%). The remainder of its funding comes from philanthropic sources. In 2022/23

#306693