Communicating Climate Change: Theories and Perspectives

Abstract

Climate change communication in the Global South requires attention, as effective communication can assist communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Communication studies in the Global South largely have focused on the frequency of coverage and the quality of climate-change news content. This chapter sets out theoretical perspectives that work towards climate change communication in the Global South. One theoretical approach cannot efficiently describe communication for development in general, hence the need for a multi-pronged approach that builds on theoretical interdependency. In order to theorise climate change communication several theories are borrowed from health and social change communication. Within the field of social change and development communication current attention focuses on the adoption of participatory communication for structural and sustainable social change. This chapter illustrates how communicating climate change might adopt a structural approach that appreciates scalar relations of existence and a social-ecological perspective that acknowledges the global, regional, national and interdependencies with the aim to develop a ‘glocal’ framework. This chapter illustrates each level and the benefit of these theoretical perspectives that aim to advance a two-way exchange of knowledge and information on climate change.