Communicating audience appropriate climate change information: a success story from Tasmania

CCRSPI Conference – Abstract Suzie Gaynor Friday, 8 June 2012 of 2

Abstract Details

Abstract title Communicating audience appropriate climate change information: a success story from Tasmania

Theme area Theme 4: Adoption and extension of climate change information

Topic

Other (please specify)

The challenge of communicating climate change research

Primary Author Gaynor SM1

Institution/company of primary author

1 University of Tasmania

Student (yes/no) No

Co‐author(s) and affiliation(s)

Mohammed C2, Caroline Brown3, Shona Prior4

2 Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture

3 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

4 Tasmanian Climate Change Office

Abstract content

In terms of climate change research, Tasmania is in a unique position with the world leading climate

change project ‘Climate Futures for Tasmania’ delivering the most sophisticated and extensive

climate modelling in Australia. However, without interpreting this new fine‐scale modelling output

and delivering the information in stakeholder appropriate language, there is a risk that the best

science goes unknown and unused by the decision‐makers.

Climate Futures for Tasmania, in association with the twelve collaborating partners consulted

stakeholders to develop a communications strategy that resulted in a range of relevant

communication products and engagements, based on rigorous science. The stakeholders wanted

confidence in the underlying science, but did not want to get bogged down in technical details. The

strategy focused on the right information, delivered to the right people, at the right time…in a

format digestible by the audience.

Ongoing consultation was the underlying principle of the communications plan, which steered a

layered or tailored approach to communications products built on the seven technical reports. The

peer reviewed technical reports contained the rigorous science. From these reports a range of

communication products were developed; the new climate change information was summarised for

policy makers, synthesised for geographic areas, repackaged for industry specific audiences,

incorporated into industry assessment tools and incorporated into business strategies.

Ongoing consultation introduced critical and often hard‐to‐understand climate science concepts to

stakeholders, thus allowing such concepts to become familiar over the length of the project. The

CCRSPI Conference – Abstract Suzie Gaynor Friday, 8 June 2012 of 2

outcome of this strategy was that when the results were delivered the partners understood the

scientific method to a point of having confidence in its application, and then in turn were able to

interpret and package the information in accessible and appropriate communication products for

downstream (land managers) and upstream (ministerial advisors) audiences. The project partners

became advocates for the research and for climate change science. What was clearly important was

determining what is the right information, when was the right time to deliver it, and who were the

right people to deliver it to. With this approach, we could then work with the audience to design and

deliver the right information.

A recent production by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture is a good example of the downstream

production of tailored information products by a partner. In collaboration with the Tasmanian

Government, TIA recently developed a series of information sheets tailored for primary producers.

The sheets focus on the opportunities and risks associated with climate change across a range of

Tasmanian agricultural enterprises, using the core scientific information published in the Climate

Futures for Tasmania technical reports. These sheets covered:

• Dryland pastures (red meat production) • Extensive dryland pastures (wool production) • Irrigated pastures • Wheat production (cereals) • Wine grape production • The production potential of alternative crops under irrigation at a catchment scale in the

Meander Valley; barley, poppies, pyrethrum, blueberries and hazelnuts • What farmers say about climate variability and change

Other examples of partners interpreting and synthesising the information for targeted audiences include the work undertaken by the Tasmanian State Government to present the new climate information on ‘TheLIST’ – Tasmania’s web‐based spatial database, the Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority climate change information sheets, providing municipal‐scale analysis for 29 local government areas and Pitt & Sherry’s risk assessment tool ‘ClimateAssyst©’ for engineers.

The layered communications strategy resulted in the output from the project having a wide‐reaching

impact within the Tasmanian community, with partners heavily investing in the end product and

feeling an instant sense of ownership in the results. Consequently, Tasmanian communities,

including the agricultural sector, are using the new climate information to build resilience within

their organisations and industries in order to respond to change.

Climate Futures for Tasmania was an interdisciplinary and inter‐institutional project led by the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, with significant contributions by CSIRO, Hydro Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government. The Tasmanian Government continues to lead the communication and extension of the new climate change information through the Tasmanian Climate Change Office and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture.

Disclaimer – I understand that if I am chosen to present a paper or poster, I will need to register and pay to attend the conference by 30 October2012

Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Conference 2010CCRSPI 2012 Slide #1 Suzie Gaynor, University of Tasmania

Climate Futures for Tasmania

Suzie GaynorUniversity of Tasmania

Communicating audience appropriate climate change information:

a success story from Tasmania

Clearing the communication hurdle


110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E 150°E 160°E50°S

45°S

40°S

35°S

30°S

25°S

20°S

15°S

10°S

Global Climate Models

Dynamicaldownscaling

process

New detailed climate information

for Tasmania

The Project


The take-home messages

• Right information• Right people• At the right time

Create a legacy of communications, conversations and converts.


What we did

Real conversations

Real partnerships

Co-design delivery


Real ConversationsBe nosey - get to know their business!


Real ConversationsPhoto Credit: Hydro Tasmania

Photo Credit: The Mercury Newspaper

Photo Credit: LGAT

Photo Credit: Hydro Tasmania


Real Conversations

Who Key People

Key Networks

Key Relationships Key Drivers Key

Interests

Key Information

Sources

Stakeholder 1

End User A

Mr Citizen

Organisation X

Sector


Multi-layered approach

Partners’ Committee

CEO

Advisory Committee

Component Leaders

AnalystsThe Worker Bees

Senior Management

The Top Dog

Executive

Middle Management

Political & StrategicBottom line & Profile

Strategic & FundingRisk Management

Annual Work PlansBudgets/Resourcing

Scientific DirectionOperational

Day-to-DayOn-ground/actions

The Science

One size doesn’t fit all


Local Government

Pitt & Sherry

LGAT

Aurora Energy

Dept Infrastructure, Energy & Resources

State Emergency Services

Planning Authorities

Mineral Resources Tasmania

Workplace Standards

Project Components

TasSY Project

Other Researchers

Complementary Projects

Tas Institute of Agricultural Research

DairyTas

Tas Farmers & Graziers Association

Fruit Growers Tasmania

Wine Industry Tasmania

Water Corporations

Tasmanian Planning Commission

Natural Resource Management Groups

Hydro Tasmania

Dept Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment

Tasmanian Climate Change Office

Partners’ Committee

(operations)

Climate Futures for Tasmania

Real partnerships

Funders

Senior ExecutiveCERF - (DEWHA)

DPIPWEHydro Tasmania

ACE CRCSES

ACE CRC Board

ACE CRC CEOAdvisory Committee

(strategic)

CSIROTPAC

Met Bureau

CSIRO/GA

HydroDPIPWE

TIAR

Fine Scale Climate

Simulations

General Climate Impacts

Extreme Events

Water & Catchments

Agricultural Impacts

Senior ScientistsCSIROTPACTIAR

Bureau of MeteorologyDPIPWE

Hydro TasmaniaGeoscience Australia

Leading Scientists

Component Leaders

(mentors/advisory)

Project Analysts(Day-to-day)

Senior ManagementACE CRCCSIROTPACTIAR

Bureau of MeteorologyDPIPWE

Hydro TasmaniaGeoscience Australia

SES

Contributing Research

Organisations

CommunicationFacilitator


Co-designed delivery

The right information…

• What matters • Uses their language• From their perspective• Sound science• Keeps them informed• Digestable bite-sized pieces• Isn’t delivered all at the end

* Perspectives extracted from Aysha Fleming’s study on Communicating Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector

If it is hard or it hurts,It won’t happen and won’t be heard.


Multi-layered communications

• WE-News…the Weekly Email • Powerpoint Slides• Technical Reports • Summary Booklets• Tailored Information

products

One size doesn’t fit all


Who is still carrying the baton?

Landscapes & Policy Research Hub (NERP)

Tasmania State WinnersResilient Winner

• Tas Climate Change Office• Tas Spatial Info Website• DPIPWE Website

Local government area climate profiles


What the people say

As a result of CFT, we are not fumbling

around in the dark and guessing what

global projections mean for Tas. This is

enormously helpful. The ag info sheets are

helpful when discussing adaptation.(Tas Climate Change Office)

Legacy of products and people


When you face a hurdle…

Check for your keys…

Right information, right people, right time

Be nosey – know their business.

One size doesn’t fit all.

If it’s hard or hurts, then it won’t happen.

Legacy of products and people.

…and when the science hits the road, you will be equipped to hurdle

Ministerial Launch of the TIA Info Sheets


Hurdle cleared!

Suzie GaynorUniversity of [email protected]

Communicating audience appropriate climate change information:

a success story from Tasmania

Climate Futures for Tasmania Productswww.climatechange.tas.gov.au

www.acecrc.org.au

TIA Ag Info Sheets [email protected]@dpipwe.tas.gov.au

Communicating audience appropriate climate change information: a success story from Tasmania

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