The Synthesis communication and data: Tailored information for stakeholders project has piloted a two-day in-person training course designed to help decision makers across Australia navigate the complexities of climate science, find the right information for their needs and understand ways to use the information in a climate change risk assessment. Our approach includes a combination of presentations and practical applications to reinforce learnings.
Developed sessions focus on:
1. Climate Projections Science
1.1: Climate change experiments help understand how our climate is changing now and, in the future
- Explore the importance of climate observations from multiple sources to understand past changes, improve climate modelling and evaluate the plausibility of climate results
- Learn about climate projections, how are they developed and how reliable are they
- Explore how climate models work
- Understand the influence of spatial scale on what projections can tell us
- Consider “uncertainty” – what it means to a climate scientist and how to deal with it
1.2: Interpreting climate change projections
- Interpret climate projections and other information
- Understand the key information being conveyed by a range of information and data products.
1.3: Creating scenarios of the future – thinking about what you are planning to
- Understand how projections and multiple lines of evidence can be applied to develop scenarios of future climate.
2. Finding the right information
2.1: Where to access climate data and information (including the local context), and what to look out for
- Explore different ways climate projections are conveyed – from the easy to understand to the highly complex
- Explore levels of complexity that is right for your decisions
- Find the best available and most relevant local information.
2.2: Deciding what climate information you need for decision making
- Identify and explore your climate information needs
- Guidance on addressing specific problems for a sector/region
2.3: ‘Go-to’ climate information statements
- Explore a range of climate information statements at the state or national level that provide high level information on climate change suitable for most applications
- Consider the level of complexity that is right for specific decisions.
3. Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation
3.1: Adaptation and climate risk theory
- Understand adaptation and different adaptation types.
- Understand the theory and practice of undertaking a climate change vulnerability and risk assessment.
- Compare top-down and bottom-up approaches to considering climate risk.
- Explore different approaches to adaptation planning.
- Evaluate and implement adaptation options.
3.2: Developing a first pass risk assessment
- Use a fictional scenario to explore a rapid first pass risk assessment.
4. Building climate knowledge capacity
4.1: Communicating climate change
- Understand climate change communication
- Explore audiences understand and receive climate information and how to deliver climate information in a comprehensive and impactful way for a specific audience
- Understand how to effectively communicate complex information including common pitfalls and communication techniques.
4.2: The role of knowledge brokering
- Understand basic knowledge brokering skills and strategies.
- Understand the co-design process
- Explore the gap between climate experts and those who need their insights and how you can address this by putting co-design into practice.
4.3: Co-design and communications for First Nations projects
- Understand principles for co-designing and partnering with First Nations collaborators
- Consider culturally sensitive and inclusive communication strategies to bring together Western and Traditional knowledge.
Downloads
- Training to answer your climate change questions (PDF 450 KB)