Communication Cop-out
The 17th United Nations conference on climate change is coming to an end in Durban, with arguments having been thrashed out to breaking point around the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
But against the backdrop of successful negotiations that took place in Mexico last year, what has COP17 really meant to the man on the South African street?
People at the annual conference have used just about anything to get their message across – from a rich array of T-shirts, to multi-coloured buttons and stickers and a motley of posters. Evocative statements have been made with fashionable tees in support of the Kyoto Protocol, humungous ice blocks slowly melting, and with a bevy of fliers calling out to go green and save the planet.
During a writing skills course I’ve been facilitating this week for government and corporate communicators, one of the delegates present made a moot observation – made more startling by the fact that she works for the Department of Environmental Affairs: Go outside, she said, and ask anyone walking down the street if they know about the conference and what it actually means to them.
We all sadly know what the answer is. And even given the fact we may understand the serious impact climate change has on health, natural resources, infrastructure and food production, has President Jacob Zuma’s message to “save tomorrow today” been relayed in a context that is accessible to all South Africans?
It’s a frightening fact that carbon pollution reached record levels last year, that thousands of people die each day due to climate induced disasters, and that if a deal at COP17 isn’t reached, climate change could destroy two thirds of farmland in Africa.
But are these facts communicated in news people can use?
So much money has been spent on the hosting of this mammoth event, but so little has been done to convey its aims and objectives in a user-friendly manner. The question that should have been asked before thousands of people descended on our shores is what it means to us.
Most communiqués advocate for more action – but sadly, not much more than that. Advocacy, stakeholder mobilization, capacity building and knowledge sharing sounds all very noble, but if your audience doesn’t get it, your message hasn’t successfully served its purpose.
