tackling climate change
Framing
In promoting technologies
that mitigate climate change,
focus on the specific benefits
to your audience.
By VictORiA ROSOff
CLIMATE AnD EnErGY ProJECT
s climate change has become increasingly politicized, communicating the
underlying science and the policy
options brings challenges. Yet rather than avoiding the topic, solar energy advocates should
address climate change in a way that focuses
on mitigation and adaptation strategies and
emphasizes the tangible benefits of solar energy
to society. The evidence demonstrates plenty
of opportunities for better informing people
about solar technology solutions, giving them
reasons to adopt them and simplifying the process. As reported by CNBC, a March survey by
Solar Tech and San Jose State University found
that “only 39 percent of those surveyed saw solar
energy as ‘reliable,’ and only another 11 percent
see it as affordable” (Hunter). In a market as
competitive as the energy sector, it is important
to be aware of the factors that shape perception
and the tools that can help convey the message
that best resonates with your audience.
In 2009, the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) at Columbia
University recognized the need to bring its
social science research and findings to the public and published “The Psychology of Climate
Change Communication: A Guide for Scien-
In Kansas, where many are climate skeptics, the Climate and Energy Project
encouraged some residents to embrace energy conservation because of spiritual
conviction, patriotism and economic prosperity. Convincing the community
of the validity of climate change science was not the goal;
the goal was to mitigate climate change by conserving energy.
In Knoxville, Tenn., the
Knoxville Utilities Board and
the city successfully tapped
into the city identity of locals in
their “Make Downtown Green,
Block by Block”
campaign. They encouraged
residents to purchase
400 blocks of green power, rep-
resenting the 400
physical blocks in the
downtown sector.
Tr ACI K. MCDonnELL, CITY oF Knox VILLE
62 September/October 2011 SOLAR TODA Y solartoday.org
Victoria rosoff is the assistant director of the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED)
at the Earth Institute, Columbia University. For further information, contact Victoria Rosoff at victoria@
ei.columbia.edu.
Copyright © 2011 by the American Solar Energy Society Inc. All rights reserved.
tists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and
the Interested Public” (herein referred to as the
CRED Guide and accessible at cred.columbia.
edu/guide). The purpose was to consolidate the
Center’s research on people’s environmental
attitudes and perceptions and how they make
decisions under uncertainty, in order to help
communicators of this highly divisive subject.
Readers are encouraged to read through all of
the CRED Guide’s eight communications principles (shown on page 65) for a comprehensive
understanding. Here we’ll examine three of the
principles that are highly applicable to the solar
industry: Get your audience’s attention, tap into
social identities and affiliations, and make behavior change easier.
