Pilot Project to Communicate Climate Change Actions in Québec

A feasibility study carried out in 2014-2015, on the initiative of Ouranos and INSPQ, concluded that it would be relevant to implement an innovative media platform dedicated to showcasing climate change actions in Québec. Such a platform would help compensate for the lack of media coverage of Québec initiatives to fight and adapt to climate change and allow Québec to assume a leadership role in providing information and raising awareness about environmental issues.

The extensive literature on social marketing, environmental communication and social psychology reports a number of variables, both individual and social, that influence the adoption of responsible behaviours. However, their impact on the adoption of eco-friendly behaviours is still poorly understood with regard to the specific issue of climate change, and even more so in the Québec context, in particular concerning changes in attitudes and behaviours among users.

• Create a general psychographic portrait of the Quebec population towards climate change;

• Check the interest of this same population in media such as Unpointcing and the various media content related to climate change;

• Identify the key segments to target, as well as the framing strategies to reach them more effectively

• Carry out a general public segmentation study of 1280 French-speaking Quebecers (W = 585; M = 695). This study allowed to probe attitudes, beliefs, social norms, behaviours and interest towards variousm frameworks and formats potentially covered by Unpointcinq;

• Conduct seven (7) discussion groups in four cities in Quebec (Quebec, Montreal, Trois-Rivieres and Sherbrooke). A total of 50 participants took part. the initial interview outline was constructed forn the results of the survey, then it was modified from one meeting to another to adapt to the themes adressed by the participants and to the questions raised by the team in charge of the media’s implementation.

The survey provided a detailed picture of Quebecers based on psychographic variables (attitudes, beliefs, behaviours relating to the fight against climate change, etc.) and sociodemographic variables such as age, sex, family income, etc. For the purposes of this study, the goal was to identify the segments most likely to be interested in Unpointcinq along with their main characteristics, in order to suggest appropriate communication strategies.

To that end, an “Interest in Digital Media” variable was obtained by cross-tabulating the variables “perceived relevance” and “intention to consult”. This variable was used to divide the population into three distinct groups: Interested Engaged (56.6%), Disinterested Engaged (29.4%) and Disinterested Disengaged (12.9%).

Various statistical analyses revealed that psychographic variables, rather than sociodemographic variables, are the most relevant for characterizing these groups. Thus, belonging to a particular age category, having a particular socio-economic status or being a man or a woman, for example, has little bearing on the overall interest in a media platform dedicated to climate change action. Rather, it is attitudes, perceived social norms, etc. that differentiate the three segments.

In general, Quebecers are worried (79%), saddened (54%) and even angry (28%) about climate change. The vast majority (90%) also believe they will be affected by climate change. They appear to be strongly in favour of strengthening a pro-environment social norm, i.e. they would like to see more “good” behaviour around them to combat climate change. This underscores the importance of fostering a sense of collective effectiveness among citizens to nurture the hope that the battle is not lost.

Even if they do not feel social pressure to take action on climate change (11%), many Quebecers (82%) say they personally want to “do more” to address this issue. The survey results show that the vast majority of respondents (86%) consider a media platform like Unpointcinq to be “quite” or “very” relevant in today’s media landscape.

In the focus groups with all segments, participants indicated that the positive tone of Unpointcinq was indeed “unique”, “engaging”, “motivating”, “friendly”, “light” and “fun”. That said, the enthusiasm generated by the arrival of such a media platform is no guarantee of the intention to use it. At the time of the survey, fewer than 6 out of 10 Quebecers expressed a “high” or “very high” intention to use such a platform.

Respondents show a greater preference for topics that directly affect their daily lives, including consumption habits (87%), agriculture and food (86%), and health (80%). The case of “health” is interesting: during the focus groups, participants mentioned that they were very interested in this topic in general, but they had difficulty spontaneously establishing links between the phenomenon of climate change and impacts on human health.

Respondents would also like consulting a media platform such as Unpointcinq to become part of their current media habits. In their view, having access to practical advice on how to reduce their impact on the environment or improve their health or the health of their loved ones would motivate them to consult Unpointcinq. They are also interested in the economic angle, since it is an innovative way to talk about climate change.