Communicating Climate Change in India

Participatory research shaped the initial phases of this effort to build effective outreach to Indian businesses. GreenCOM carried out formative research through a series of in-depth interviews with representatives of power companies and other energy-intensive industries, officials from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and personnel from environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The interviews focused on respondents' knowledge and attitudes on global climate change, their views on options such as the Clean Development Mechanism that were introduced in the Kyoto Protocol, their opinions on foreign direct investment, and the incentives and obstacles they perceived to new capital investment. By examining what stakeholders knew and what they wanted to know about the topic, as well as what they were actually doing to reduce emissions, researchers intended to identify the information needs of each group and to develop appropriate messages. The initial research also compared the relationship between knowledge and attitudes about energy efficiency with company size, energy-efficiency practices, and type of ownership (public or private). GreenCOM then developed 25 possible messages and information items and presented them to three focus groups of Indian business leaders. Based on the focus group response, GreenCOM found several distinct audiences within the business community, each of which needed different information and would respond to different incentives. The report that emerged was titled "Pre-Testing Messages to the Indian Business Community on CO2 Emissions Mitigation".

Following this process, the project produced a report called "Proposed Messages for Indian Business Groups on CO2 Emissions Mitigation", on recommended messages and information for specific sectors of the private sector: small private firms, large private firms, and large public firms. The messages addressed climate change, energy efficiency, and carbon emissions trading.

In addition to reaching out to industry, GreenCOM sought to inform journalists about climate change issues - again drawing upon research and interpersonal exchanges to shape and undertake the communication strategy. Working with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), a non-profit educational organisation based in Ahmedabad, GreenCOM carried out interviews with 26 business journalists on their knowledge of and interest in emissions trading. Next, GreenCOM set up a series of press briefings for business reporters to provide them with background information on carbon emissions trading. Three forums held in Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai featured business leaders, Indian government officials, USAID, and representatives from firms involved in emissions trading.

The internet was used as a tool for communicating the information that emerged from this process, and for facilitating dialogue and learning. A synthesis of the forums and the background material presented at them is available at a dedicated website developed by CEE to keep the business press informed about emissions trading. Press kits for journalists that were created as part of the project were also made available on this site. In addition, organisers developed an email listserv for journalists covering carbon emissions-related issues.

Environment, Natural Resource Management.

According to GreenCOM, although India has one of the lowest per capita emissions of greenhouse gases, it is the world's fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), and its huge population and fast-growing economy make it a major player in negotiations to slow climate change.

Although the media briefings described above were for background and did not offer a news story, organisers say that a number of climate-change-related articles based on the briefings were published by journalists who attended them. According to organisers, these articles reached 8.7 million readers - based on the circulation of the publications in which they appeared.