Should we reframe the way we talk about climate change?
Image courtesy of Fred Murphy under CC BY-ND-NC 1.0.
Prevailing narratives within the global discourse on climate change mainly focus on economic and technological solutions, often championed by institutions and governing bodies of the Global North. This includes targets like the 1.5°C limit and reducing CO2 emissions, with initiatives like the Green New Deal gaining traction, emphasising market-driven approaches for a win-win scenario of economic growth and environmental sustainability. However, there are growing discussions around concepts of degrowth, advocating more socially just system changes. Amid these debates, a critical question arises: are these approaches fair, given the disproportionate impact climate change has on the Global South?
Despite contributing less to carbon emissions (per capita) compared to the Global North, the Global South bears the brunt of climate change consequences. While the Global North advocates for mitigation strategies, it often fails to address its own behaviours contributing to climate change, underscoring the need for a reframing of climate discourse.
Alternative climate framings can prioritise justice, aligning social justice goals with climate mitigation strategies to address systemic inequalities and ensure an equitable distribution of the burden of climate action. This approach can acknowledge historical injustices and empower marginalised communities facing environmental challenges. This reframing should also include perspectives beyond the human realm, recognizing the intrinsic value of non-human entities, which is crucial for fostering an holistic understanding of climate change.
Context-specific approaches are also essential for effective climate action. Case studies, such as the implementation of embankments in Bangladesh to combat the consequences of climate change have actually increased environmental vulnerability, underscore the importance of incorporating local knowledge and expertise. By valuing indigenous and grassroots innovations, more adaptive and culturally relevant strategies can be developed.
Counter-narratives also play a pivotal role in reframing climate change discourse, by challenging dominant narratives, amplifying marginalised voices and broadening our understanding of the intricate interactions between social dynamics and climate change. New systems of knowledge incorporation can offer invaluable insights on sustainable land management practices and strengthen resilience of natural systems and biodiversity.
Beyond addressing systemic injustices embedded in current framings, how we discuss climate change to motivate effective public action must change. While highlighting the urgency of the issue is important, framing it solely in negative terms can lead to feelings of helplessness, anxiety and indifference. Current discussions around mitigation strategies typically involve using knowledge-based scare tactics to encourage action. However, human emotion systems are designed to be labile, so feelings of, for example, fear are not meant to persist for extended periods.
Additionally, while global warming is rapidly changing Earth on a geologic time scale, on a human time scale, these changes are occurring relatively slowly, meaning even though we can see record-setting temperatures, these incidents will become our new normal. Instead, humans adapt to their stressors – it is difficult to connect persistent feelings of fear to climate change, a concept viewed as vast, complex and an event which individuals cannot simply resolve right now (and which most people don’t fully understand). Therefore, often people ignore it to protect their emotional selves; fear may not be the best motivating factor, often resulting in denial upon long-term exposure.
Studies have shown that framing messages using environmental, economic and moral dimensions of climate change can increase individual engagement with climate change. However, engagement does not necessarily translate to action carried out, rather it may shape behavioural intentions and support for climate policies.
Emphasising opportunities for collective action and positive change could instead inspire hope and mobilise communities. Using methods of positive reinforcement and encouragement within the discourse of climate change could further promote climate action rather than paralysing people with fear. Strategies that should be promoted under positive reinforcement approaches include:
Incentivizing and rewarding sustainable behaviour
Empowering people via education
Celebrating progress
Highlighting individual impact
Framing climate action as a positive opportunity (for example, via the creation of new jobs).
By embracing principles of justice, inclusivity and positivity, we can foster a more nuanced understanding of climate change and cultivate effective solutions that prioritise people and the planet.