“The escalating climate crisis is reshaping our lives and transforming the way the world operates. Yet, do people truly understand climate change? Do they recognize the urgency of the low-carbon transition and apply this awareness to guide their decisions and actions? Communications is a vital part of the climate solution, with the primary goal of engaging the public in climate action,” says Hui Jing, Senior Program Director of Strategic Communications at Energy Foundation China (EF China).

 

Together with its partners, EF China is dedicated to advancing impactful climate communication strategies to mobilize greater support in the global journey toward carbon neutrality.

Raising Public Awareness of and Engagement in the Energy Transition

Back in 2016, as research and discussions on carbon reductions and the energy transition gained traction both in China and worldwide, a new question arose: How could communication be leveraged as a tool to address the climate crisis? Inspired by this question, EF China established its Strategic Communications Program that same year, aimed at helping climate advocates effectively convey the narrative of the energy transition to raise public awareness and engagement on climate solutions.

“Communication that Best Supports Transition Needs” has since become the guiding mission of the Program. In 2016, diesel vehicle pollution control became a focus issue for the team. Despite representing only 6.4% of motor vehicles in China, diesel vehicles were responsible for 63.4% of nitrogen oxide emissions and 95.9% of particulate matter emissions from vehicles – posing a major threat to air quality. How could awareness on diesel pollution be raised among stakeholders to help solve the issue?

 

To tackle this challenge, EF China worked with its partners in producing the report Facts on China’s Diesel Pollution. Based on extensive research and interviews, the report highlighted critical issues such as insufficient regulation, poor fuel quality, and severe diesel pollution in ports, sparking significant discussion across sectors. Within just over 10 days, over 200 related news articles were released. Building on this momentum, EF China’s partners launched a public advocacy campaign named “Clean Up the Black Tail,” and the hashtag #CleanUpBlackTail# on Weibo attracted 1.34 million views within 14 months. With growing public awareness of the severity of diesel pollution, the campaign laid a solid foundation for subsequent discussions on pollution control solutions. Through the concerted efforts from various stakeholders, diesel truck pollution became a key focus in the Three-Year Action Plan for Cleaner Air introduced in 2018. That same year, China identified diesel truck pollution management as one of the seven landmarks battles in its pollution control and prevention campaign.

EF China believes that for communication to be effective, it must be rooted in understanding people’s needs, building connections, and creating dialogue among diverse stakeholders. A strong example of this is the campaign EF China led to address household coal pollution in Hebei.

Though household coal use represents only 3% of total energy consumption, burning a single ton of it releases eight times more pollutants than the same amount burned in power plants, with health risks ten times as severe. Although the government has introduced a series of clean heating policies, many rural areas still face obstacles in adopting these solutions. Is this due to limited awareness of the policies, entrenched lifestyle habits, or perhaps a lack of economic resources and supporting services? How can rural residents be encouraged to transition away from coal? And how can the real challenges they face be effectively communicated to policymakers?

 

With these questions in mind, in 2017, EF China worked with partners to launch the “Rural Household Coal Pollution Control” Communications Project in Hebei. The project team conducted targeted surveys, engaging local government, rural residents, and clean heating equipment companies to better understand local residents’ main concerns—specifically, whether clean heating solutions are affordable, effective, easy to use, and maintainable. They also analyzed the policy, institutional, market, and communication challenges in the clean heating transition. The study culminated in the Research Report on Household Coal Combustion Control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, which offered valuable insights for decision-makers on the complexities of coal replacement. Additionally, the project team developed a “Communication Toolkit for Rural Household Coal Pollution Control” and piloted communication strategies tailored to rural residents’ preferred ways of receiving information. These accessible and straightforward communication methods were well received by local communities, boosting their understanding of and confidence in clean heating solutions. This initiative has served as a scientifically grounded and practical reference for government, NGOs, and other organizations to enhance their communication efforts regarding rural household coal pollution control.

Professional skills are essential for effective climate communication. In 2017, EF China launched the “Strategic Communications College,” the first training program specifically designed to offer a customized curriculum for climate and energy communications. To date, the program has conducted nine training sessions, equipping over 300 communications professionals with in-depth knowledge of climate policies, energy transition, industry development, and strategic communications practices. Graduates of the program have become active practitioners in climate communication, telling the story of climate action more effectively and encouraging behaviors that support a low-carbon transition.

 

In 2019, responding to calls from organizations in the field, EF China launched a micro-grant program for strategic communications, supporting outstanding NGOs in developing innovative climate communication campaigns tailored to local conditions. To date, nearly 20 creative and impactful initiatives across China have received funding, focusing on themes such as “low-carbon consumption,” “climate change stories,” and “low-carbon mobility,” employing highly innovative and tailored approaches to enhance public awareness and engagement in climate action.

Advancing Synergies between Low-Carbon and Sustainable Development for a Carbon-Neutral Future

With the announcement of China’s “dual carbon” goals (to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060), a systematic transformation began—one that encompasses multiple objectives across socio-economic sectors. The shift to carbon neutrality demands a fundamental rethinking of development modes and everyday lifestyles, along with a major restructuring of the energy and industrial sectors. Achieving these ambitious goals requires broad consensus, collective mobilization, and coordinated, efficient climate actions from all sectors of society.

 

EF China and its partners have actively explored ways to support this transformation through strategic communications. This requires engaging society-at-large in climate and energy transition discussions and building synergies between “low-carbon” objectives and wider socio-economic goals. Since 2020, in partnership with media organizations, EF China has hosted the “Sustainable Energy for a Prosperous China” forum series, a platform where thought leaders and practitioners across climate, energy, economics, and industry come together to exchange ideas on energy transition, sustainable development, and climate action – in support of coordinated progress toward carbon neutrality. Over the past four years, the forum has held 10 sessions covering more than 10 critical topics, including green investment for green recovery, revitalizing industrial growth with green transition, optimizing the phased approach to energy transition by “establishing the new systems before abolishing the old,” and building a modern energy system aligned with the “dual carbon” goals. Widely covered by the media, the forum has generated nearly 500 original reports, reaching over one hundred million views. Its emphasis on “synergizing multiple goals and fostering sustainable development through energy transition” has garnered strong support from policymakers, experts, and industry leaders across diverse fields.

Despite strong public support for climate action, turning this awareness into concrete practices remains a challenge for climate communicators. Strengthening the “communication methodologies” to enhance public engagement and action has thus become a critical priority in the realm of climate communication.

 

In 2022, EF China supported the establishment of the Center for Climate Communication and Risk Governance at the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University. Drawing on international experience while adapting its approaches to China’s specific context, the center grounded its approach in “life values” – key factors that shape public perceptions of climate change – to explore innovative ways of fostering public engagement and resonance with climate issues. One year later, the center released Climate Narratives for the Chinese Public: Six Segments and Narrative Principles, a report that identified six audience segments, including “Backbone Traditionalists,” “Passionate Advocates,” and “Prudent Observers.” For each group, the report outlined specific communication objectives with tailored climate narratives and engagement strategies. Since its release, the report has sparked substantial interest within the climate communication community, with multiple domestic and international organizations adopting it as a strategic framework and continuously refining its insights through practical application, thereby further advancing climate communication methodologies. Based on the report, EF China has continued to support the center’s ongoing development of knowledge products, such as Generation Z and Climate Change, and People-Centered Climate Communication, providing innovative perspectives for governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses to enrich the dialogue on climate communication.

The low-carbon transition must put people at its core. In recent years, EF China has prioritized understanding the needs and challenges faced by various communities, collaborating with partners to develop people-centered, low-carbon solutions:

— Focusing on Green Mobility for Vulnerable Groups: Since 2022, EF China has worked with its partners in addressing the green mobility needs of vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities and the elderly. The initiative brings together experts from urban planning, transportation, landscape design, and accessibility policy, along with representatives from the disability community, non-profits, and businesses. Together, they engage in discussions on topics like “the future of inclusive, low-carbon mobility,” “wheelchair accessible travel guide,” and “accessibility enhancement plan for public spaces.” These discussions have led to valuable insights and recommendations for addressing these challenges, while also raising public awareness on these issues through diversified communication efforts.

 

— Promoting Public Engagement in Low-Carbon Transition Governance: In 2023, EF China and its partners conducted surveys to gather public feedback for studies on the management of shared e-bikes in Kunming, providing decision-makers with more precise, data-driven management recommendations. That same year, EF China and its partners worked to identify community-based climate solutions, addressing both the climate challenges faced by community residents and the operational difficulties of community planners. These efforts cumulated in the development of the Guidelines for Community Climate Actions, aimed at empowering communities to undertake scientifically grounded and sustainable climate actions.

 

— Cultivating Cross-Disciplinary Climate Advocates and Communicators: Since 2021, EF China has worked with partners to identify climate advocates and leaders across various fields, encouraging them to recognize the relevance of climate issues within their respective fields and providing funding for targeted communication projects. This approach integrates climate awareness and action into diverse professional domains, promoting wider social engagement around climate action.

Empowering the Field: Illuminating Change-Makers in the Transition

“Communication not only strengthens the overarching narratives on climate change and the low-carbon transition, it also builds stronger connections among individuals, creating a greater readiness for meaningful action,” says Hui Jing. “Carbon neutrality represents a historic mission for our ‘generation’ of communicators, and I invite more partners to join us in this endeavor. Together, we can inspire deeper understanding and broader action on the path to achieving carbon neutrality.”