From influencing to engagement: a framing model for climate communication in polarised settings

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for climate policy engagement that is focused on building the social conditions conducive to support for climate policy. Despite the ongoing scientific and social cases being made for climate action, social divisions remain in some contexts such as Australia and the United States. The success of climate policies depend in part on the general social support base for that solution, with public polarisation acting as a barrier. Dominant communication models have tended to rely on one-way strategically focused communication to exert influence with the aim of shifting one’s attitudes. However, there is a need to extend such approaches to go beyond strategic messaging and instead establish the social conditions necessary for policy support. Drawing on diverse literature and framing theory, a new engagement model for climate policy is proposed which centres around a goal of relationship-building between actors to facilitate productive discussion on climate policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate change
• policy engagement
• communication
• framing
• climate policy

Acknowledgments

N. Badullovich extends immense gratitude to Dr. R. M. Colvin for their invaluable guidance, feedback, and time dedicated to helping shape this paper into the form it is today, as well as support from Dr. C. Cvitanovic, Prof. I. Walker, and Dr. S. Stanley. The author acknowledges support from an Australian Government Research Training Program PhD Scholarship and an Australian National University Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions PhD Supplementary scholarship. The author also wises to extend great appreciation and thanks to two anonymous referees and editor for providing helpful and constructive comments that have greatly improved this paper. I am deeply grateful for their time, care, and effort, and for conveying their suggestions in a very kind and constructive tone.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.