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#FramingClimateJustice

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PROJECT

�26 participants

12 months

07 staff

05 sessions

03 research phases

01 community

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AIMS

�Strengthen the movement

Understand how public thinks

Improve climate justice comms

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DIFFERENCES

�This isn’t your average framing project…

Participants from across the movement�(grassroots, trade unions, think tanks, larger NGOs)

Grassroots participants paid for their time �(funded through larger org contributions)

Participatory framing research, led by the movement�(mixed methods, including DIY testing)

Participant-led project outputs �(pitched & voted on by the community, partially-funded)

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We searched for research about public thinking on climate justice, �we found...

But the first thing we found was there is a research black hole - hardly anyone is really doing public opinion research, or frame testing, on some of the key aspects of climate justice, where ppl at on core principles like ‘colonialism and capitalism drove the climate crisis’ ‘most affected least responsible’ and ‘CC increases existing oppressions and injustices’ - although obviously we assume the worst.

Quite a lot of research on whether climate change is happening, how concerned are you, willingness to act etc.

Major gaps in UK research

Perceptions of the social causes of climate change (beyond “humans”)
Perceptions of why climate change might be experienced differently in social groups (esp. race, class...)
Perceptions of fairness in ‘procedural justice’ �(e.g. decision making)
Understanding of and responses to justice arguments made by marginalised groups
Perceptions and support of social justice solutions (e.g. participative democracy, reparations...)

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So we did our own!

LITERATURE REVIEW�41 sources
FOCUS GROUPS�In London, Aberystwyth and Aberdeen
NATIONAL SURVEY EXPERIMENT�4000 respondents (representative)
STREET INTERVIEWS AND CONVERSATIONS With 22 people and 10 people

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PROCESS

�COMING SOON

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COMMON GROUND

Climate change is here & now

Humans caused the problem

The world is out of balance

Consumerism is a problem

So is capitalism

We have systems that exploit Global South (e.g. textiles, waste)

Humans are adaptable & can respond

Vested interests enforce status quo

Government & MNCs responsible

Global South hardest hit

Least responsible worst affected

Solutions needed at every level

Renewables & public transport good

Big, drastic changes needed

Decentralised approach good

There’s some hope, just not in the near future

Useful for establishing trust �and saving time in comms.

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FAULT LINES

How did we get here?

Who’s responsible for the problem?

Does CC relate to oppression?

What’s human nature like?

What’s our focus?

Whose leadership do we need?

What solutions do we propose?

What’s our vision?

How do we feel about future?

MOVEMENT BELIEFS

Colonialism, capitalism, design

Profiteers, elites

Multiplies it

Changeable, capable

Global

Frontline communities

New world: system change

Abundance

Optimistic, hope

PUBLIC BELIEFS

Accident, industrialisation

China, India, humans

No impact, don’t know

Fixed, greedy

Local

Global North, e.g. America

New technology, new laws

Scarcity

Fatalism, distrust (some hope)

Need to pick the most strategic to try and bridge in communications, testing can help.

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HEADLINES: OPINION

People know that climate change is happening, here & now, and it’s quite bad
People don’t spontaneously talk about differential impacts on people (it’s ‘us’, ‘humans’)�But mildly agree the ‘most affected are least responsible’
People point the finger at government & corporates, not individuals
‘Innocent industrialisation’ belief about the past, and (somewhat) emerging economies
People look outside UK for blame (e.g. China, India) and leadership (e.g. US)
People don’t agree (or know) that climate change increases existing injustices

How people think:

The basics: People know that climate change is happening here and now, that humans are at least partially responsible and that it is quite bad.
People are quite well versed in the physical causes and impacts, but not the social and cultural. ‘Everyone is affected’ and a universal ‘us’ or ‘human greed’ is the problem
People do not spontaneously introduce the idea that different social or geographical groups of people are more impacted, but generally accept the ‘third world’ is worst hit and have less resources to cope
When reacting to the statement ‘most affected are the least responsible’, tend to agree but not strongly CHECK
People point the finger at governments and corporations and are sceptical about the idea of individual responsibility
People have an ‘innocent industrialisation’ frame, about our past and to some extent about emerging economies now
People think it is particularly the emerging economies, China and India that are the problem now, and look to US for leadership (rather than UK)
Don’t agree that climate change increases existing oppression

ADD - experts taking more of a role in solutions?

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�AFTER A LONG PROCESS

We want our communications to help people understand that:

colonialism & capitalism created & continue to drive the climate crisis,
climate change is increasing oppression and injustice, and that
we can solve the problem and lead better lives by redistributing power
and centring impacted communities (especially in the Global South)

OBJECTIVE

�

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NARRATIVES

Emergency, Solidarity, Responsibility, Hope
How do these shift people across our whole objective?

VALUES

Universal collective, Freedom, National Security*
How do these build understanding that climate change increases oppression?

METAPHORS

Economy is like a … Rigged game, Blueprint, Shared Meal
How do these help us connect climate to colonialism and capitalism?

EXAMPLE

Tax, NHS - How do these encourage redistribution as solution?
Equal Marriage, Post-Apartheid - How do these encourage centring voices as solution?

* oppositional frames

TESTING

�

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HEADLINES: FRAMING

Emphasise solidarity with those most affected
Be careful not to rely too much on emergency framing (crisis, doom)
Appeal to value of self-direction when talking affected groups’ involvement in decisions
Introduce economic design into the frame, using metaphors (like blueprint)
Work to make responsibility frames more engaging (avoiding guilt)
Find new ways to connect the dots to colonialism & capitalism
Draw more on existing examples of good climate solutions

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NEXT STEPS

�Project outputs: �Toolkit, briefing, messaging guide, presentation, website etc.

8x participant-led outputs:�Inc. MP training, targeted press work, Youth Stiker training, movement meeting, ongoing testing inc. digital testing with bigger orgs, online skill-up course etc.

Phase 2 fundraising:

Putting together follow-on plan with some participants; keen to fill more knowledge gaps, track progress and impact.

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#FramingClimateJustice

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RESEARCH�DETAIL

If you have time...

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OPINION

How do people in UK think?

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COMMON GROUND

Climate change is here & now

Humans caused the problem

The world is out of balance

Consumerism is a problem

So is capitalism

We have systems that exploit Global South (e.g. textiles, waste)

Humans are adaptable & can respond

Vested interests enforce status quo

Government & MNCs responsible

Global South hardest hit

Least responsible worst affected

Solutions needed at every level

Renewables & public transport good

Big, drastic changes needed

Decentralised approach good

There’s some hope, just not in the near future

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�

Government & MNCs responsible, �capitalism to some extent

Question: Please rank the following in order of how much impact they have had on causing climate change, where the group that has had the most impact is ranked first and the group that has had the least impact is ranked last. Base: N=1589 respondents aged 18+ in GB who did not see a message

Conclusion - not spontaneously part of the analysis, but people are receptive to systems being part of the problem, particularly capitalism and to a lesser extent colonialism

People don’t spontaneously mention systems as part of the problem, although do go quickly to greed & exploitation [interviews].
When asked to rank the impact of systems, versus corporations, governments and individuals, it tends to come second or third.

Question: Please rank the following in order of how much impact they have had on causing climate change, where the group that has had the most impact is ranked first and the group that has had the least impact is ranked last. Base: N=1589 respondents aged 18+ in GB who did not see a message

Individuals seen as having less impact, esp’y people in poor countries.

When we split impact by the wealth of countries, it goes this order: emerging economies (e.g. China, India) > wealthy countries (e.g. within Western Europe, US) > poor countries (e.g. within Africa, Bangladesh)

Consumerism / Capitalism is a problem (to some extent) - In our survey we found that, in a list of 12 possible impacts on climate change, Global Capitalism came joint first (alongside ‘governments of emerging economies’) by participants for having the most significant impact historically on climate change. However, its significance was on a par with several other possible impacts (including the industrial revolution, and global corporations and MNCs). In another question, when people were asked to rank the impact of ‘economic systems such as capitalism) alongside corporations, governments and individuals, it was typically ranked third (a majority of 74% ranked global corporations as either first or second, then governments). When people were considering the relative impact of different systems (capitalism, socialism and colonialism), almost half the participants thought capitalism had the biggest impact. It was definitely the case that people thought capitalism and colonialism have had a bigger impact than socialism. However the high number of ‘no difference’ and ‘don’t know’ responses suggests that people aren’t very confident evaluating this. A key new insight on this is from our demographic breakdown by age - young people are much more likely to say that capitalism and colonialism have more impact on climate change (and that socialism has less).

Interviews - People don’t spontaneously mention these as part of the problem, although do cite greed & exploitation

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�

Global south hardest hit

I think the more economically developed countries will be safer and more able to adapt than the less economic countries, so the Middle East and they are - some of the countries are less economically developed. So with the - if the temperature goes hotter, they're not going to be able to cope, whereas with Britain, if our temperature gets hot, then we will be able to adapt to it greater because we'd have the resources to do so.

Obviously I know there's third world, first world and all that, but at the end of the day there is one atmosphere up there so we're all equally as affected by it.

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�

Least responsible, worst affected

Question: Some people argue that it is the people and communities around the world that are least responsible for climate change that are suffering the worst impacts. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?

45% agree

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�

… but depends on voting behaviour

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�

Solutions need to come from every level

Everyone needs to have a bigger role in developing solutions
But mostly: scientists, governments of emerging economies, corporations and the people & communities most affected by climate change
And to a lesser extent: governments of poorer countries and indigenousness communities

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�

People have some hope

Question: To what extent, if at all, are you hopeful that there will be effective solutions to climate change in the next…

Base: N=1589 respondents aged 18+ in GB who did not see a message

It's not hopeless. I personally wake up still believing that we can do something to help

You can’t heal it, but you can stop it going as quick

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�

People (tentatively) favour a decentralised approach

38% felt that a decentralised system that directly involved communities would be better at tackling climate change than alternative systems.

But this depended on voting.

Question: Which of the following do you think would be better at tackling climate change?

Base: N=1589 respondents aged 18+ in GB who did not see a message

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FAULT LINES

How did we get here?

Who’s responsible for the problem?

Does CC relate to oppression?

What’s human nature like?

What’s our focus?

Whose leadership do we need?

What solutions do we propose?

What’s our vision?

How do we feel about future?

MOVEMENT BELIEFS

Colonialism, capitalism, design

Profiteers, elites

Multiples it

Changeable, capable

Global

Frontline communities

New world: system change

Abundance

Optimistic, hope

PUBLIC BELIEFS

Accident, industrialisation

China, India, humans

No impact, don’t know

Fixed, greedy

Local

Global North, e.g. America

New technology, new laws

Scarcity

Fatalism, distrust (some hope)

FAULT LINES

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�

We got here because of �“innocent industrialisation”

With the past, we've used fossil fuels without really knowing the implications.

The government nowadays shouldn't be responsible for the government going back 150 years ago.

If Brazil didn't industrialise then the Amazon would be okay, but you can't stop a country from industrialising. As I said before, we've done it so why can't another country do it?

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�

We blame emerging economies, or humans in general

Question: Thinking about the historical causes of climate change, how much impact, if any, do you think the following have had on climate change? Please give your answer on a scale of 1-5, where 1 means no impact at all and 5 means a significant impact?

In our interviews people talked mostly about humans in general, and not about different social groups unless prompted.

What hope have we got of getting struggling, developing countries like India, China, and Russia even, to come on board when America won't?

Instead of changing climate, they're building rockets and then blasting them into space.

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�

We don’t see how climate change multiples oppression

4 out of 10 said that climate does not discriminate where or who it impacts, so will not impact on injustice and inequality.

Question: When you think about the impacts of climate change on people around the world, which of the following statements best describes your position?

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�

… but that depends on age!

Question: When you think about the impacts of climate change on people around the world, which of the following statements best describes your position?

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�

We’re not sure if we should redistribute resources

Question: Some people say that we can only solve climate change if we redistribute resources away from the powerful and wealthy towards those who have less. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?

Remainers are more likely to agree.

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�

We’re pretty fatalistic and distrustful

Question: How much, if at all, do you trust the UK government to find solutions to climate change?

What's going to happen is what's going to happen regardless. I don't think there's very much that we can do in the way of change that we're not already doing; despite what the politicians would have you believe...

Actually, as we saw in the last section, people aren’t optimistic about the next five years, but they are increasingly hopeful as the timeframe widens. Another angle to this, though, is that people are overwhelming distrustful of the UK government to find solutions to climate change (NB fieldwork conducted just AFTER election results). 58% said they didn’t trust the government, 27% not at all. And predictably this distrust was much higher amongst labour and lib dem voters. (84% and 71% respectively). But even a third of conservatives said they didn’t trust the government...

Pessimism. Many of the reactions to solutions, and overarching feelings about change were quite fatalistic. This included the following opinions:

● It’s already too late [1,2,3] - the damage is done: There's nothing really anyone can do to repair it (Aberdeen).

● What will be will be [1,2]: what's going to happen is what's going to happen regardless. I don't think there's very much that we can do in the way of change that we're not already doing; despite what the politicians would have you believe. What'll be will be, in my opinion (Aberdeen). A participant in London talks about how war and famine are inevitable: I don't think we're going to change it. It's going to be taken into mother nature's hands (London).

● The changes needed are too big and drastic [1]: I think the whole system needs to change in some way but it's not going to change (London). (And see above for comments about changing existing infrastructure, [3]). It’s too complex [3], we can’t change overnight and we don’t have the money to do it [3].

● The solutions are not realistic [1,2,3] (see above for comments on going vegan or not flying, and comments on push back from people).

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HEADLINES: OPINION

People know that climate change is happening, here and now, & it’s quite bad
People don’t spontaneously talk about differential impacts on people (it’s ‘us’, ‘humans’)�But mildly agree the ‘most affected are least responsible’
People point the finger at government and corporates, not individuals
‘Innocent industrialisation’ belief about our past, and (somewhat) to emerging economies
People look outside UK for blame (e.g. China, India) and leadership (e.g. US)
People don’t agree that climate change increases existing injustices

How people think:

The basics: People know that climate change is happening here and now, that humans are at least partially responsible and that it is quite bad.
People are quite well versed in the physical causes and impacts, but not the social and cultural. ‘Everyone is affected’ and a universal ‘us’ or ‘human greed’ is the problem
People do not spontaneously introduce the idea that different social or geographical groups of people are more impacted, but generally accept the ‘third world’ is worst hit and have less resources to cope
When reacting to the statement ‘most affected are the least responsible’, tend to agree but not strongly CHECK
People point the finger at governments and corporations and are sceptical about the idea of individual responsibility
People have an ‘innocent industrialisation’ frame, about our past and to some extent about emerging economies now
People think it is particularly the emerging economies, China and India that are the problem now, and look to US for leadership (rather than UK)
Don’t agree that climate change increases existing oppression

ADD - experts taking more of a role in solutions?

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FRAMING

How should we communicate?

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�

Caution: We have our work cut out!

None of the frames moved people hugely in the survey experiment.
Interviewers reflected that a message can prompt people on capitalism and colonialism, but won’t shift people with no prior understanding. And they don’t shift people who are fatalistic towards being hopeful.
The conversations showed that there were issues with using analogous solutions, so we need to get better at talking about climate solutions.

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COMMS OBJECTIVE

We want our communications to help people understand that:

colonialism & capitalism created & continue to drive the climate crisis,
climate change is increasing oppression and injustice, and that
we can solve the problem and lead better lives by redistributing power
and centring impacted communities (especially in the Global South)

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14 FRAMES

NARRATIVES

Emergency, Solidarity, Responsibility, Hope
How do these shift people across our whole objective?

VALUES

Universal collective, Freedom, National Security*
How do these build understanding that climate change increases oppression?

METAPHORS

Economy is like a … Rigged game, Blueprint, Shared Meal
How do these help us connect climate to colonialism and capitalism?

EXAMPLE

Tax, NHS - How do these encourage redistribution as solution?
Equal Marriage, Post-Apartheid - How do these encourage centring voices as solution?

* oppositional frame

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�

NEW NARRATIVES

Emergency Narrative�Emphasising crisis and doom
Solidarity Narrative�Emphasising solidarity between UK and global south
Responsibility Narrative �Emphasising UK’s historical responsibility
Hope Narrative�Emphasising collective action and people power

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�

NEW NARRATIVES

Emergency Narrative�Emphasising crisis and doom
Solidarity Narrative�Emphasising solidarity between UK and global south
Responsibility Narrative �Emphasising UK’s historical responsibility
Hope Narrative�Emphasising collective action and people power

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Top result for agreeing least responsible are the most affected
Top result for agreeing those affected should play a bigger role in developing solutions
Top result for having hope for solutions in the next 20 years

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Acting on climate change means working together.

The right action on climate change will lead to a society that meets our needs and benefits us all. It will mean us, in the UK, standing shoulder to shoulder with communities around the world that are already impacted by climate change.

Right now, the powerful elites are protecting their own interests at the expense of everyone else. They are financing and profiting from climate change. The impacts of climate change - sea level rise, wildlife loss, wildfires, extreme weather - fall hardest on the poorest people in the UK and around the world. Millions of people who are disadvantaged already - because of the country they were born in, the colour of their skin, how wealthy they are, their gender, age, ability or sexual orientation - will have this suffering increased by climate change. Their existing struggles will be made worse, because they have fewer resources and power to respond when climate change hits.

Solutions to climate change must involve giving power to local communities, instead of corporate and political elites. We must balance resources and power, moving them away from elites and towards those who are most impacted and most excluded. This means people working together and helping each other out, both in the UK and across the world.

Action on climate change is critical if we care about justice. What is not often discussed is that there are more than enough resources to go around, we just need to share them out properly. Let’s work together for a better world.

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Question: Some people argue that it is the people and communities around the world that are least responsible for climate change that are suffering the worst impacts. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?

Top result for agreeing most affected least responsible

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Question: People and communities most affected by climate change

Top result for those affected having a role in solutions

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Question: To what extent, if at all, are you hopeful that there will be effective solutions to climate change in the next…

Top result for hope for solutions in next 20 years

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Made people point the finger at the big global actors (governments & corporations)
Top result for calling for indigenous communities to have bigger role in developing solutions.
Top result for scientists and experts to have a bigger role.�
Made people more likely to say climate change has no impact on existing injustices.

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Made people point the finger at the big global actors (governments and corporations)
Made people more likely to call for indigenous communities to have bigger role in developing solutions
Made people more likely to disagree with resource redistribution�
Ironically had no impact on hope…

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… nada!

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�

New values

Universalist community values - connecting local and global, widening sphere of concern.
Freedom and self-direction values - emphasising the agency and voice of people affected.
Security values - emphasising the need for stability and national security, in the UK.

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�

New values

Universalist community values - connecting local and global, widening sphere of concern.
Freedom and self-direction values - emphasising the agency and voice of people affected.
Security values - emphasising the need for stability and national security, in the UK.

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More likely to say climate change impacts the most marginalised
More likely to blame wealthy governments
More support for a bigger role of governments of poorer countries in solutions

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Why should we care about climate change? Because climate change is a crisis of personal freedom and self-determination on a massive scale.

Around the world, it is the people and communities who have done the least to cause climate change who are most affected by its impacts. Millions of people who already have less of a say in key decisions that affect them - because of the country they were born in, the colour of their skin, how wealthy they are, their gender, age, ability or sexual orientation - are only having their freedom further limited by climate change.

For instance, older women are already walking longer distances for clean water in places like Kenya, and don’t have the resources to solve this problem creatively, or develop new technology. And poorer people living on floodplains in the UK don’t necessarily have a choice about where they live, or the financial freedom to leave flood-risk areas. This strips people of their self-determination, and means they are even more affected by climate impacts. It should not just be those who are wealthy and powerful who have a voice in how we respond to climate change.

Acting on climate change means ensuring the people who are affected by climate change more of a say.

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Question: When you think about the impacts of climate change on people around the world, which of the following statements best describes your position?

More likely to say most marginalised most impacted

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Question: Do you think each of the following should have a bigger or smaller role than they do in currently in developing solutions to climate change, or should it be about the same?

More support for bigger role of poorer countries

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More likely to disagree with resource distribution

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… nada!

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HEADLINES: FRAMING

Emphasise solidarity with those most affected
Be careful not to rely too much on emergency framing (crisis, doom)
Appeal to value of self-direction when talking affected groups’ involvement in decisions
Use metaphors to introduce economic design into the frame (like blueprint)
Work on making responsibility frames more engaging (avoiding guilt)
Take every opportunity to help connect the dots to colonialism and capitalism
Draw more on existing examples of good climate solutions

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THANKS!

gofossilfree.org/uk/

framing-climate-justice

#FramingClimateJustice

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