The spatial difference of multi-layer climate change information flow and network construction: A comparison of “dual carbon” scenarios

Abstract

Climate change is a critical topic in environmental communication. Through effective information communication, efforts and contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions can gain more social support, boosting carbon neutrality. In this study, the spatial distribution of the multi-layer information flow of climate change, the construction of forwarding networks, and the distribution of opinion leaders were studied by a web crawler and social network analysis. The comparison of the two periods reveals that: (1) The information diffusion depth of climate change information reaches up to three layers. Blog posts in relation to climate change are more likely to be shared in economically developed regions. (2) There is little direct correlation between the nodes in the climate change forwarding network. The communication network's structural integrity is poor, and the network structure is loose. (3) Following the proposal of the goal of “dual carbon”, more groups emerge to participate in climate change discussions. The media, celebrities, and government users take the leading role in climate change communication. The research findings are extremely important in clarifying the spatial pattern of climate change communication among provinces and identifying opinion leaders.