The influence of narrative versus statistical evidence on public perception towards CCS in China: Survey results from local residents in Shandong and Henan provinces

Abstract

In order to discover a better way of communicating with the public about carbon capture and storage (CCS), we surveyed 300 college students and 200 company employees via two different versions of a questionnaire to compare the persuasiveness and differential impact of narrative evidence versus statistical evidence on public perception towards CCS. Results showed narrative and statistical evidence were equally effective in gaining public acceptance of CCS, but the “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) phenomenon was more evident in responses to the statistical version than to the narrative version of the questionnaire. In the student group, participants were significantly more opposed to CO2 pipelines and storage sites being located nearby when they were exposed to statistical presentation. In the employee group, statistical evidence elicited more negative attitudes towards CO2 storage projects being sited nearby. Nine different concerns emerged from the responses to an open-ended question inviting participants to specify “any concern or worry about utilizing CCS”. The themes revealed that those presented with statistical evidence were mainly concerned about health and safety, while those presented with narrative evidence were concerned about safety and cost alike.