‘It is a bloody big and responsible job’: perspectives on climate change communication from Australia-focused practitioners

Abstract

AbstractClimate change is a complex social-political issue in Australia with a history of dysfunctional conflict over climate policy. This presents challenges for the practitioners communicating about climate change to different publics. To date, academic research has focused on exploring how effective communication can be achieved but rarely has this been understood from a practitioner’s perspective. I present the findings of nineteen (n = 19) semi-structured interviews with climate change communication (CCC) practitioners in Australia. The interviews explored occupational experiences as a means to understand the state of practice, challenges, and ways forward for CCC. I explore four key themes in this analysis: the practitioners, their goals, the barriers, and their perspectives on framing. Participants spoke of the complexity in doing CCC work, including many barriers, but their focus on effective communication and engagement remains strong in the face of challenging circumstances. Graphical abstract