We use cookies where necessary to allow us to understand how people interact with our website and content, so that we can continue to improve our service.
We only ever receive anonymous information, and cannot track you across other websites.
View our privacy policy
The UN climate conference – COP – takes place annually. It attracts international political leaders, activists, lobbyists and journalists, with the conference focused on progressing global agreements and cooperation on climate change. Not only do the COPs act as major policy milestones, but they are potentially important moments for public engagement too.
They form a focal point for what climate movements around the world demand of their governments, and are major climate communication ‘moments’ in and of themselves, often marking a major uptick of media coverage and campaign activity.
The public recognise that climate change is a problem that can only be solved through international cooperation, and want to see global leadership by the UK government. Our Climate Barometer tracker shows that both the public and MPs think the UK should be one of the most ambitious countries in the world on climate change.
But the picture is more mixed in terms of the faith people have in major international gatherings to deliver on their promises. And although COPs take up a huge amount of bandwidth for the climate movement, its not clear that the public is always paying attention.
This thread brings together insights on opinion about international negotiations with key discourses and developments around the annual COP cycle.
Media analysis by Climate Outreach suggests that international negotiations are key events not only for policy, but in shaping public attitudes on climate:
“The annual UN conference provides a yearly focus point for climate media stories, events and activists. While the focus is on policy making, this can have a significant associated impact on how citizens view and understand the issues being discussed. For example the perceived failure of COP15 in Copenhagen is associated with a significant downturn in public climate concern. Understanding the interplay between different elements within the plethora of coverage is crucial for public engagement.
Our analysis indicates that publics in general were engaged by COP26 and the majority felt more optimistic about chances of dealing with the climate change challenge by the end. Yet it is noticeable that there were marked differences in the dominant narratives between traditional media and those most loudly heard on social media and at cultural events. Does this matter? One possibility is that it doesn’t – and that as the climate conversation grows, it’s natural and right that differences of opinion will remain. But from a communications perspective, mixed messaging may impact on how people understand and relate to climate change – which could undermine effectiveness.”
In analysis by Kantar, coverage of protests at COP26 was found to have outstripped coverage of the conference itself (in traditional media).
On social media, Geta Thunberg was one of the biggest presences on Twitter, driving engagement with traditional coverage of COP26 protests.
What the public ‘sees’ at climate conferences can shape wider climate beliefs – and although there was small but significant increase in public optimism during the course of COP26, the dominance of protests in traditional and social media is likely to have conveyed an overall impression of the conference as a ‘problem’ (to be protested against) rather than part of the solution.
Polling by Global Scan, which carried out surveys in 31 countries ahead of COP26, found that:
Research by the Development Engagement Lab found that around the time of COP26, held in Glasgow:
A report and guide produced by Climate Outreach ahead of COP26 presents a set of insights for engaging the public around international negotiations. Drawing on analysis with two key audience groups (Loyal Nationals and Civic Pragmatists, two of More in Common’s ‘British Seven’), the report notes that:
“Messaging that speaks to the need to protect nature, and that frames climate change as a shared global crisis and a shared global responsibility, is likely to resonate.
Language around the benefits from green investments and jobs is effective, but not when it seems to undermine the idea of global cooperation.
Engagement needs to counter the fact that many people do not understand what COP is about, and when they do they are often sceptical about what it could achieve, or believe it should be
conducted online rather than in person.Communications should be confident in framing climate change as a shared global crisis and a shared global responsibility. There is no need to overly explain the global context or cater to a misplaced sense of isolationism.”