Sri Lanka’s Centre for Environmental Justice in collaboration with the government’s Climate Change Secretariat, UNDP and Janathakshan held a national conference on “SRI LANKA’S READINESS FOR IMPLEMENTING PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT” on 7 and 8 September 2016 in Colombo. It was attended by over 200 representatives from government, civil society and corporate sectors. This presentation was made by science writer and development communicator Nalaka Gunawardene in Session 5: Climate Solutions, under the topic “Climate communication and Behaviour changes”. As climate change impacts are felt more widely, the imperative for action is greater than ever. Telling the climate story in accurate and accessible ways should be an essential part of our climate response. That response is currently organised around two ‘planks’: mitigation and adaptation. Climate communication can be the ‘third plank’ that strengthens the first two. Encouragingly, more journalists, broadcasters, researchers and advocacy groups are taking up this challenge. They urgently need more media and public spaces -- as well as greater resources -- to sustain public engagement. Sri Lanka’s Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation, prepared in 2010-11, has recognized how “IEC action can lead to better informed decisions and enlightened choices in both climate change mitigation and adaptation”. When strategically carried out, IEC can be a powerful force for change on both the ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ sides of climate adaptation and climate related public information. In this analogy: • ‘supply’ involves providing authentic, relevant and timely information to all those who need it, in languages and formats they can readily use; and • ‘demand’ means inspiring more individuals and entities to look for specific knowledge and skills that can help make themselves more climate resilient. These two sides of the equation can positively reinforce each other, contributing significantly to Sri Lanka’s fight against climate change.

1. Changing Climate &
Changing Minds
By Nalaka Gunawardene
Science writer & communication consultant
Panel remarks at:

2. nalakagunawardene.com
Where I come from…
 Trained as science writer, worked in
print, broadcast & web media for 25+ yrs
 Been covering climate change stories
from 1988
 Not obsessed with global climate talks;
instead, looking at how to prepare for
inevitable impacts + climate solutions
 Part of Lankan expert team that prepared
National Climate Adaptation Strategy
2011-2016 (esp. comm. strategy) 

3. nalakagunawardene.com
International climate response
for 20+ yrs, summed up…
This is the way
 ththth

4. nalakagunawardene.com
Climate communication: Mostly
driven by panic, fear & hysteria…?

5. nalakagunawardene.com
Meanwhile, we are well past this
finger-pointing!

6. nalakagunawardene.com
Communications since Rio 1992:
It’s now a multi-narrative world…
 Mainstream media: still important - even
though their influence slowly declining
 Many more channels & voices today:
 Citizens armed with smartphones accessing
online info sources, reacting & sharing
 Advocacy orgs doing more direct
engagement of public (without mass media)
 Social Media: Blogs, FB, Instagram, Twitter:
Loud, chaotic & contested public sphere!

7. nalakagunawardene.com
Cyclone Roanu hits Lanka: May 2016
images shared on social media…
 Never miss a good
disaster go to waste?
 This is our new reality!

8. nalakagunawardene.com
A Tale of Two Worlds?
http://www.scidev.net/south-asia/environment/analysis-
blog/climate-communication-key-to-survival.html
Proper
climate
communicati
on is key to
our survival.
But it’s easier
said than
done!

9. nalakagunawardene.com
Climate Communication: make it
‘Third plank’ in climate response
 “As climate change impacts are felt more widely,
the imperative for action is greater than ever.
Telling the climate story in accurate and accessible
ways should be an essential part of climate
response. That response is currently organised
around two ‘planks’: mitigation and adaptation.
Climate communication can be the ‘third plank’
that strengthens the first two.”
- Nalaka Gunawardene, SciDev.Net, 23 Apr 2014

10. nalakagunawardene.com
Change is slow…
But it IS happening!
 We are well past the ‘ifs’ and ‘whens’ of
climate change: it’s unfolding here & today
— whether we’re ready or not!
 Govts are committed to Paris Agreement
 But they need to persuade their publics on
behaviour changes & reforms needed
 In democracies: public discussion & debate
vital: climate can’t be saved by diktat!
 Communications plays major role

11. nalakagunawardene.com
Info, education & comm (IEC):
Consider both Supply & Demand
 ‘Supply’: providing authentic,
relevant & timely climate
information to everyone who
needs it, in languages and
formats of their choice
 ‘Demand’: inspiring people to
look for specific knowledge &
skills to make themselves
more climate resilient

12. nalakagunawardene.com
Climate Communication is an art
(based on science!)
Environmentalists & scientists have
failed to build sufficient urgency for
action. We need new communication
approaches. Some basic tips:
1. Tell more unique, local stories.
2. Focus on audience, not argument
3. Use emotion and narrative.
4. Be sensitive to North-South
disparities.
https://orionmagazine.org/2013/03/on-the-art-
of-climate-change-communication/
Vice President & Senior
Scientist, Conservation
International
TV personality in US on
conservation issues

13. nalakagunawardene.com
What is to be done?
Get the messages right…
 We must move away from disaster-
driven climate communications of
doom and gloom
 Focus on climate resilience &
practical solutions to achieve it
 What matters to average person:
 Cheaper energy (economic benefit)
 Cleaner air (health benefit)
 Staying alive (public safety benefit)

14. nalakagunawardene.com
Going beyond those already green
 Climate justice notions,
biodiversity conservation
& all other considerations
appeal to those already
concerned with issues.
 To reach out and engage
the unconverted, climate
communication must use
health, wealth & children

15. nalakagunawardene.com
What is to be done?
Higher priority & resources
 Higher policy priority needed
for strategic communication of
govt’s own climate policies and
practices at national & local
level (Not COP participation or
other legal or diplomatic stuff)
 Increase resources: can 5% of
total climate spending be set
aside for info, education &
comm (IEC)?
Sri Lanka campaign in
2013-14 for govt to
allocate 6% of GDP for
education

16. nalakagunawardene.com
Slow, gradual process – stay with
it!
 “It (IEC Strategy) is based on the premise
that raising public understanding and
support through effective communication
is a precondition for changes in policy,
practice and behaviour at all levels in
society. Such change happens slowly and
incrementally involving the engagement
of multiple stakeholders at different
levels: awareness raising; updating and
deepening of knowledge; training and
capacity building; and advocacy.”

17. nalakagunawardene.com
No longer possible: Monopolization
or centralization of any info!
 Govt is a key player in climate
response, but NOT the only one
 Research/academic, civil society,
grassroots and industry voices
must be heard & heeded too
 Not always possible to agree: we
need criticism & even dissent
 But enough finger pointing – now
use ALL 10 fingers for solutions!

18. nalakagunawardene.com
Inconvenient & unpopular
questions MUST be asked…

19. nalakagunawardene.com
Good initiatives must be critically
cheered – as I do in my media work
Ravaya 28 Aug 2016: comment on govt’s new solar initiative
http://ravaya.lk/?p=16851

20. nalakagunawardene.com
Relevant for climate resilience
& good climate communication too!

21. nalakagunawardene.com
What to do with total climate
cynics? Let them be & we carry on!

22. nalakagunawardene.com
Ready or not…
Change is coming!
Email:
alien@nalaka.org
Twitter:
twitter.com/NalakaG
Ravaya column archive (in
Sinhala):nalakagunawardene.com/
ravaya-column/