Peta Ashworth – CCS Public Engagement – Presentation at the Global CCS Institute Members’ Meeting: 2011

Findings from CCS social research

Peta Ashworth, Group Leader, Science into Society, CESREPresentation to GCCSI Members Meeting 4th October, 2011

Acknowledgements

• My team at CSIRO• Sarah Wade: Wade LLC, Washington, USA• Judith Bradbury, Gretchen Hund: Pacific Northwest National

Laboratory, Battelle, USA • Sallie Greenberg: University of Illinois, USA• David Reiner, Olaf Corry: Cambridge University, England• David Reiner, Olaf Corry: Cambridge University, England• Simon Shackley & team: University of Edinburgh, Scotland• Marjolein de best Waldhober & team: ECN, the Netherlands• Kenshi Itaoka & team: Mizuho Research Institute, Japan• Edna Einsiedel & team, University of Calgary, Canada

CSIRO. Science into Society Group

Social Site Characterisation

Conducting social site characterisation

•Stakeholder identification•Data interpretation and use•What are the information needs?

• If missing information will seek from those around them, particularly those with similar views or those they trustparticularly those with similar views or those they trust

• Frequent misconceptions : understanding of scale, pressure effects, nature of storage space

•What are the concerns and perceptions?• Not always technical risks but broader social factors

•What are the best options for outreach and engagement?


Evaluating global CCS communication materials

Some of the findings:

• Focus is still on CCS and how it works, rather than how it might be made to work

• Transport is the invisible technology• There is a heavy reliance on climate change as the sole rationale for justifying CCSas the sole rationale for justifying CCS

• A large majority of CCS materials is overtly positive

• The internet and English language remains the main focus for CCS communication

• The one size fits all approach limits the usefulness to many groups


Communicating the risks of CCS

Pertinent project characteristics:

• Historic and economic ties• Major employer, well paid jobs, support to local economy and tax

base• Communicating with company employees• Project hosts present and active in the community well before CCS

project was initiated

• Emphasis on community relations• Emphasis on community relations• Significant experience communicating and working with local

stakeholders with dedicated community relations staff

• Context• Need for fossil fuels and potential benefits of CCS not in dispute• Less on climate change but recognition that regulatory constraints

on CO2 could affect business and local economy in the future

• Structure of the project team• Engagement led by host company


Key findings:

• Recognise the risks to the project are likely broader than the technical risks and commit, up front, to a comprehensive plan to address them

• Be open respectful and responsive to the • Be open respectful and responsive to the public

• Be proactive in the sense of planning ahead about issues that could potentially arise

• Prepare for media interactions• Use appropriate visual aids and analogies to help communicate concepts to the public and keep them simple


More to come

•CCS educational resource materials –currently being trialled both nationally and internationally

•Perceptions of CO2 – factors that 2influence understanding and acceptance CCS

•Decision support for defining energy policy question using ICQ methodology


http://www.globalccsinstitute.com/publicationsPublic engagement


Science into Society GroupPeta AshworthGroup LeaderCSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering

Phone: +61 7 3327 4145Email: [email protected]

Thank you

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Peta Ashworth – CCS Public Engagement – Presentation at the Global CCS Institute Members’ Meeting: 2011