Paper short abstract:

This work hopes to improve our collective understanding of the role of worldviews, values, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and experience, heuristics, emotion and other cognitive processes in delivering evidence based public policy to address climate change.

Paper long abstract:

This presentation aims to bring together important findings from the fields of cognitive science and behavioural economics and considers their implications for climate change and public policy. Climate data plays a central role in the assessment of mitigation and adaptation actions and the development of evidence based public policy. Climate data is being used to identify the path ahead, but not without significant challenges. Climate data is often poorly understood by those it is intended to assist. Climate data has been used to justify particular worldviews, rather than to inform them. Climate data generates surprisingly emotional responses and has become personal with the credibility and reliability of climate data and the integrity of climate scientists called into question. With petabytes of climate data worldwide (mostly satellite data and climate modelling data), it is important to consider how climate data can be best used and managed to inform effective decisions.

The nature of the challenges of a changing climate are complex, decadal and multidisciplinary and require concerted, collaborative and sustained effort to address them. Despite the compelling and urgent case for action, cognitive as well as political challenges arise when dealing with these issues. Effective and enduring policy responses have been limited and not broadly supported. This presentation will provide insight into 'why' and in so doing will also contribute to a broader effort to construct a social psychology of climate change.