9. Education, training and public participation
General public information and participation
"4 Million Careful Owners" public awareness and education campaign
In 2003, the Government agreed to a three-phase public awareness and education programme to improve New Zealanders' understanding of the issues relating to climate change and to bring about changes in behaviours that would assist in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
This decision followed extensive research which revealed a strong demand for greater public information and education about climate change and the issues involved. It was also clear from the research that New Zealanders wanted practical advice on what they could do to help reduce the effects of climate change.
The integrated campaign was designed to prompt debate and move New Zealanders through the awareness stage and into action mode. The approach is whole-of-Government, led by the Ministry for the Environment, with involvement from the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Transport in programme development and implementation.
The campaign has been designed in three phases with the first phase, launched in December 2003, focused on reaching out to the public and raising awareness. Phase Two (November 2004-February 2005) of the programme built on these messages and moved to making a difference through behaviour change. Phase Three will further the objectives of the second phase. A core challenge was to make climate change more tangible for New Zealanders by providing people with specific actions they could take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change.
The campaign has centred on one core brand, "4 Million Careful Owners", which comprises elements of inclusiveness, community, collective response and pride. The brand was specifically developed to have a life beyond the campaign and to be applicable for a range of environmental public education initiatives in the future. The campaign also features the call to action of "your country needs you" featuring New Zealanders telling their own stories and actions people can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The main thrust of the first phase was via a specifically designed interactive website at www.4million.org.nz. In this phase, the site provided useful tips on how to reduce emissions from transport, energy-use and waste as well as general information about climate change, a provision for people to pledge their support to undertake particular actions to reduce emissions, and a poll where they could measure their greenhouse gas-reducing and energy efficient behaviours compared to other New Zealanders. Other elements included press, radio and internet advertising, news media, and stakeholder communications and cooperation.
Research carried out at the end of the phase clearly showed that it was successful against the three objectives of creating awareness, engaging New Zealanders, and preparing the ground for a long-term campaign aimed at behavioural change. To provide just two examples of the measure of this success, over 35,000 visits were made to the campaign website over the six-week period of the campaign's first phase and the increase in the level of concern declared over the issue of climate change increased by seven percent in July 2003 to 66 percent following this phase of the campaign (January 2004).
The second phase of the campaign was about building on the messages conveyed in Phase One and aimed to bring about long-term behavioural change. As in the first phase, the emphasis was on climate change issues and how New Zealanders can address them, rather than on the science or international mechanisms (e.g., the Kyoto Protocol).
Key stakeholders (considered important opinion leaders and first movers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) were engaged and co-opted to help increase awareness of climate change issues in their own sectors, as well as encouraging tactical and long-term changes in behaviour to reduce emissions. An industry reference group was established which included senior representatives from a broad range of sectors such as farming, transport, regional and district councils, dairy, large corporate service organisation and business. The group acted as a sounding board to provide input and feedback on climate change communication initiatives for the campaign, and was essential to establish what was practical and possible to voluntarily reduce emissions in respective sectors.
The reference group stated their bi-monthly meetings were useful and prompted them to place climate change higher on their agendas than it was previously. Many members said they had started or were already planning to implement more initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a result of their involvement. Most stakeholders wanted to continue their involvement with the Ministry for the Environment and said they were prepared to participate in the third phase of the campaign.
The public was the other important audience for the campaign's second phase, particularly in addressing attitudes and behaviour towards the energy people use, the transport they take, how they dispose of their waste and how they farm their land, with the ultimate goal of encouraging people to reduce emissions in these areas.
This second phase was launched very successfully with an event at Wellington's central train station. Thousands of train commuters entering the city were applauded by Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change and Government officials. A large on-site banner was used to point out the connection between using public transport and helping to address climate change. Commuters also received a flyer outlining how their actions help reduce the effects of climate change and directing them to the new climate change quiz on the "4 million careful owners" website. At the same time, two half-tonne ice blocks, symbolising melting polar ice caps due to global warming, were placed in Auckland and in Wellington. Banners inside each block directed onlookers to the campaign website, and both blocks attracted a great deal of interest from central city shoppers and passers-by. These events received excellent television, radio, internet and print media coverage.
The whole campaign website was completely revamped for this phase with a new design, as well as more and better information. One of the new elements of the site was the development of a fun, interactive online quiz for the general public which aimed to increase awareness and motivate action. The quiz takes people through a series of questions to uncover their current behaviours around energy efficiency, transport use and waste disposal, and how their choices contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Answers also give advice about better choices people can make. On completing the quiz, they receive a response outlining how they compare to the national average and what personal changes they can make to reduce emissions. A second quiz was developed later, specifically for businesses, showing how employers and employees can help to address the problem in the workplace.
Other elements of the campaign included nationwide advertising via various media channels and the distribution of positive media stories around the country.
In addition, an extension of the public campaign was completed with the production of a climate change education unit for teachers, distributed to nearly 3,000 primary and intermediate schools around the country. This was supported by a new section for school students on the "4 Million Careful Owners" website, including an online activity called Play it Cool (see details on the education unit and the schools' website section in Material for schools further in this chapter). The booklet has been highly successful with many requests for more copies.
Following this phase of the campaign, a survey undertaken showed that the number of New Zealanders who considered that climate change was a serious problem increased from 66 percent to 73 percent. Also, the number of people who attributed climate change to human-caused emissions (rather than natural climate variations) increased from 63 percent to 71 percent over the same period. In addition, there were thousands of visits to the revamped website with many taking part in the online quiz.
The media also noticeably changed its attitudes during phase two of the campaign. Up until this phase, it was rare for the media to cover climate change, and if they did, it was often sceptical and focused on debating the science. This has changed. Climate change has received extensive media coverage and is now regularly in the national news media - the sceptics are now fully challenged and represent a minority view.
It is intended that the third phase of the campaign will take place when the new climate change policies are announced. The campaign will build on the positive relationships the Ministry for the Environment has developed with climate change stakeholders, including; the fertile big-business environment that is putting climate change near the top of its agenda, the high level of awareness amongst the public that climate change is happening, and the general willingness amongst businesses and the general public to do something to address the situation.
As well as continuing to engage with the public, phase three will also need to address small and medium enterprises and energy-intensive businesses, audiences which were not directly addressed in phases one and two. The significance to such audiences of the carbon tax needs to be matched by a context of understanding of climate change and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Website and publications
The Government's climate change website at www.climatechange.govt.nz was completely re-designed and revamped in 2003 to become a far more comprehensive, informative and easily navigable site. It regularly receives a high rate of visits nationally and internationally, and was named a "best practice example of an individual website" in the Achieving E-Govt report released by the State Services Commission in November 2004. The site is frequently amended to remain as up-to-date as possible. It includes details about climate change and how it might affect us, the Kyoto Protocol, domestic and international policies and initiatives (such as Projects to Reduce Emissions and Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements), how people can take action to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and specific material for school students.
A wide range of publications have been produced since the Third National Communication in 2001. These have included general information sheets on how to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, booklets to help inform local government on how they can help prepare communities for climate change, case studies on projects people are undertaking in the community to reduce emissions, and publications explaining specific policy areas.
Consultation
A second round of consultation was undertaken following the first round in 2001 on New Zealand ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and domestic policy options for New Zealand to meet its Kyoto Protocol emissions-reduction target (as reported in the Third National Communication).
In this second consultation, held in May 2002, the Government asked New Zealanders for their views on the preferred policy options which were developed using feedback from the first round. Input from the second consultation was used in the formation of the confirmed policy package to address climate change which was announced in October 2002.
As in the first round of consultation, this second round involved the wide distribution of consultation documents followed by nationwide meetings with the public, local government representatives, business and special interest groups, and hui with Māori. New Zealand school children were again involved in the consultation process with consultation kits sent to schools across the country.
Further consultation on design and implementation details of Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements and Projects to Reduce Emissions was carried out in early 2003. In addition, consultation with the farming sector took place in June and July 2003 on how a levy to research agricultural emissions reduction could be collected and administered.
Following the 2005 review of climate change policy, a further series of consultation meetings was organised in early 2006 to discuss the outcome of the review. At the time of this publication, the Government anticipates further public consultation on climate change policy related to the work programmes currently under consideration.
Seminars and workshops
A large number of seminars and workshops have been carried out since the Third National Communication was produced. These have included meetings carried out in conjunction with the two rounds of consultation (over the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the preferred domestic policy package) in 2001 and 2002, workshops elaborating on climate change science, seminars explaining specific policies (for example, the Projects to Reduce Emissions programme, Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements and the carbon tax) and climate change policy in general, and meetings focusing on specific sector groups such as agriculture and business.
Material for schools
Students and teachers continue to be a key audience for building awareness of climate change and how we can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Teachers educate their students who then pass on information to their parents and future offspring. So efforts in this area reach a wide audience.
As outlined in the Third National Communication, a booklet for school students was produced for the first consultation round in 2001 and explains what greenhouse gases and climate change are, what could happen to New Zealand's climate in the future, and how the Kyoto Protocol works. There was a great response from students around the country who sent in submissions on what they thought of the Government ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and what they could do help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Since then, a second booklet was produced and was distributed around schools nationwide during the second consultation in 2002. This booklet provides information on what New Zealand is doing about climate change and what simple things people can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - in homes, schools and communities.
Both booklets are still relevant and are requested quite frequently by teachers.
In early 2005, it was recognised that more material needed to be developed to meet the needs of educating our young people about climate change. This brought about the production of a new education unit for teachers called Our Climate is Changing. The booklet outlines a wide range of cross-curricular ideas and activities to assist those teaching climate change to Year 5 to Year 10 students. It includes class activities, downloadable photographs, a web-based interactive activity, a list of useful websites, and details on where teachers can access more information to successfully develop a unit on climate change.
This unit was supported by the creation of a new section for school students on the "4 million careful owners" campaign website. Along with the two climate change booklets, a picture resource, experiments such as how to see the greenhouse effect in a jar and materials for teachers, a new online interactive activity called Play it Cool has been developed. This activity, in which two children direct their father on what they think are the best choices he should make regarding energy use, transport and waste, has proven highly popular with hundreds of visits since its launch.
Information, education and training for specialist groups
Communities for Climate ProtectionTM - New Zealand
The Government recognises that local authorities have a significant role to play in New Zealand's national climate change response. The Communities for Climate Protection New ZealandTM (CCP-NZ) programme provides a strategic framework which assists councils and their communities to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a successful global programme, councils participating in CCP-NZ benefit from international best practice and experience.
CCP-NZ is a voluntary programme which is fully funded by the Ministry for the Environment. It is delivered in New Zealand by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, a not-for-profit local government association.
The CCP-NZ programme builds capacity within local authorities to develop emission inventories, set targets for emission reductions, agree action plans for achieving these and monitor progress towards targets on an ongoing basis. On joining the programme, councils commit to achieving these milestones by passing a council resolution. The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives supports councils to achieve these milestones and works with them to develop a strategic agenda to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Fifteen councils have joined the programme to date, representing 45 percent of the total New Zealand population. This is the fastest uptake of the programme anywhere in the world.
Energy-intensive businesses
In March 2005, Cabinet confirmed additional policy to assist energy-intensive businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through improved energy efficiency.
The policy will be implemented through measures which include:
- training for company directors to influence a conservation culture in corporate governance
- education for company managers and staff about energy efficiency
- demonstrations of energy-efficient technologies to provide support for innovation and technology uptake
- financial grants to assist capital investment in technologies to improve energy efficiency.
Information on specific policy areas
There are several specific policies for which seminars and workshops have been provided to inform key groups. These include the Projects to Reduce Emissions programme and Negotiated Greenhouse Gas Agreements (refer Chapter 4, "Policies and measures"). The seminars were held to explain the details of these policies, invite discussion and questions, and obtain feedback.
