Regional PEO Strategy Prepared by the ACCC

ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

IN THE CARIBBEAN (ACCC)

REGIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION

AND OUTREACH (PEO)

STRATEGY

July 2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 4

1. CONTEXT 5

1.1 Climate change – the challenge and the response 5

1.2 Progress on public education and outreach so far 5

1.3 Development of a regional PEO strategy 6

2. INTENT 6

2.1 Vision 6

2.2 Objectives 6

2.3 Guiding Principles 7

3. STRATEGIC APPROACH 7

4. TARGET AUDIENCES 7

5. MESSAGES 8

6. ACTION PLAN 9

7. BUDGET 15

8. EVALUATION 16

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Twelve CARICOM nations have developed a regional strategy for public education and outreach (PEO) on climate change. Its vision is for regional PEO activities to ensure that:

Caribbean citizens, the private sector and governments are aware of climate change and its potential impacts, and have the knowledge to support and conduct appropriate adaptation responses that enhance the economic and environmental potential of the region.

This strategy is part of the broader Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean (ACCC) program, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, which aims to strengthen private and public sector institutional capacities to respond to climate change in the Caribbean region. As part of this comprehensive initiative, the PEO efforts aim to:

v To build awareness of climate change and its impacts with diverse groups in the Caribbean, including an awareness of the vulnerability of different communities and the links with relevant economic, social and development issues;

v To encourage policy changes that will help the region adapt and respond to climate change impacts; and

v To strengthen the linkages, capacity and accessibility of information and resources on climate change across the Caribbean.

To accomplish these objectives, the overall strategic approach will focus on developing local level resources for use in each country, while providing regional co-ordination and collaboration to maximize the use of resources and promote coherence. It is recognized that the PEO is a long-term endeavour, and a sustained approach, with periodic evaluation and review, is required for maximum success. To ensure the broadest possible reach a ‘train the trainers’ approach is suggested, while also using ‘agents of influence’ to deliver information in the most credible and effective manner.

A regional workshop held in April 2002 defined the elements of this PEO strategy.

Five audiences/ groups have been identified as the target for PEO efforts on climate change in the region. They include:

1. Media

2. Youth, Educators and Educational Institutions

3. Policy Makers

4. Private Sector

5. Communities/ community related groups

Specific activities, approaches and messages have been proposed for each audience group, and these will form the basis for national level actions. Regional level activities will serve to support and enhance these national actions.

Cdn$260,000 will be allocated from the ACCC budget towards regional PEO efforts from April 2002 to September 2004. Additional funds will be required to support regional and national level activities to fully accomplish the strategy. It is anticipated some funds will be provided by the Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC) project currently being planned.

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ACCC Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean

CC Climate Change

CCCC Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre

CIDA Canadian International development Agency

COTED Council for Trade and Economic Development

CPACC Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change

CXC Caribbean Examinations Council

EMA Environmental Management Authority

ENGO Environmental Non-governmental Organization

GCSI Global Change Strategies International

GEF Global Environment Facility

GHG Greenhouse Gases

GIS Geographic Information System

GIS Government Information Service

IT Information Technology

KAP Knowledge Attitude and Practice

MACC Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change

NFP National Focal Points

NRMU Natural Resources Management Unit

OECS Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

PAID Public Awareness and Information Dissemination

PEO Public Education and Outreach

PICCAP Pacific Island Climate Change Assistance Program

PSA Public Service Announcement

SIDS Small Island Developing States

SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Programme

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UWI University of the West Indies

1. CONTEXT

1.1 Climate change – the challenge and the response

Adaptation to climate variations and change is of fundamental economic and social importance to the countries of the Caribbean.

“Caribbean Governments have expressed grave concern about the potential adverse impacts of climate change on the fragile ecosystems and indeed economies of the Region.” Bryon W. Blake, Assistant Secretary General, Regional Trade and Economic Integration

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has confirmed that small island states and low-lying coastal states, like many Caribbean nations, are the most vulnerable to global climate change, with accompanying sea level rise.

In response to this challenge, the Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC) initiative was started in 1997 to support Caribbean countries’ efforts to cope with the adverse effects of climate change. Twelve countries[1] were involved (the ‘participating countries’) and operational management was provided through the Regional Project Implementation Unit (RPIU). CPACC focussed on vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning and related capacity building and was intended as the first stage of a comprehensive long term program of adapting to climate change and capacity building in the region.

Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean (ACCC) is the next stage of this long-term program. Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, this initiative’s goal is to strengthen private and public sector institutional capacities to respond to climate change in the Caribbean region. A central part of this initiative is public education and outreach (PEO), with the overall objective to further develop and implement a climate change PEO program for participating countries in order to gain acceptance and adoption of necessary response measures.

1.2 Progress on public education and outreach so far

Under CPACC, a start was made on public awareness and education programs to support the development of National Climate Change Adaptation Policies in each of the 12 participating countries. The ACCC program builds on this by supporting the implementation of local outreach programs, and all ACCC Participating Countries are now in the process of ensuring their public education and outreach strategies foster a high level of participation in the formulation of National Climate Change Adaptation Policies.

In addition to implementing local programs initiated under CPACC, the ACCC’s PEO program is to develop a regional PEO strategy and materials that can be used across the region so that Caribbean countries and citizens can actively advocate the adoption of climate change adaptation policies and initiatives. An evaluation of PEO in participating countries was conducted earlier this year for the period of the CPACC project, as well as the first three periods of the ACCC Project. Participating countries identified the need for a comprehensive public education and outreach campaign on climate change adaptation planning and management, and this strategy responds to that need.

1.3 Development of a regional PEO strategy

On April 22-24, 2002, National Focal Points[2] from each participating country and other PEO experts were brought together to develop the Caribbean regional strategy for climate change public education and outreach. During the workshop, participants:

· Reviewed climate change public awareness activities undertaken to-date in Caribbean countries;

· Shared climate change PEO materials, experiences and resources; and

· Developed the key elements of the regional framework for public education and outreach on climate change

This strategy is based on the outcomes from that workshop. It is also informed the evaluation of completed and ongoing regional PEO activities conducted in the May 2002, as part of the ACCC program.

2. INTENT

The following vision, objectives and guiding principles encapsulate the intent of the Regional strategy and its proposed activities.

2.1 Vision

The vision is that regional PEO activities will ensure that:

2.2 Objectives

The specific objectives for regional PEO program are:

v To encourage policy changes that will help the region adapt and respond to climate change impacts; and

v To strengthen the linkages, capacity and accessibility of information and resources on climate change across the Caribbean.

2.3 Guiding Principles

The following principles will guide the PEO activities to be conducted throughout the region:

Collaboration and cooperation between participating countries, governments, citizens and key economic sectors.
Building on existing institutions, organizations and efforts to maximise reach, efficiency and success.
Focusing on adaptation to climate change and climate variability, using credible and balanced information to provide the full range of views and options on climate change.
Consistency with the St. George’s Declaration for Environmental Sustainability in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change, and Agenda 21’s Principle 7.

3. STRATEGIC APPROACH

The following strategic approach indicates the overall directions that will be pursued with regional PEO activities. Specific approaches for various target audience groups are noted in the Section 6. The overall strategic approach will be to:

- Use regional resources and expertise to support national activities by developing outreach resources with a national or local focus to enhance their relevance and effectiveness.

- Maintain the PEO network for coordination, information dissemination and collaboration purposes.

- Use ‘Agents of Influence’ to reach the target audiences in a credible and effective manner.

- ‘Train the trainers’ to broaden the reach of climate change programs over time.

- Take a bottom-up approach - working through local and community based groups who know the best way to reach and motivate action within their constituencies.

- Be proactive and imaginative, providing clear, credible and frank information.

- Ensure gender equity in PEO approaches and activities.

- Facilitate continuous and sustainable PEO approaches through the provision of both financial and technical resources, where possible.

- Monitor progress and evaluate periodically to inform future efforts and share lessons learned.

4. TARGET AUDIENCES

Specific target audiences have been selected to allow for a focused and cost effective approach to climate change PEO in the region. The key audience groups include:

1. Media

Media is an important target since they can create significant attention around climate change and reach out to the wider public to raise awareness and build support for change. They can also confer legitimacy on an issue such as climate change (this is not to suggest that the media always deliver factual information, however, if we don’t see an issue reflected in the media, we assume it is not important enough to warrant our attention).

2. Youth, Educators and Educational Institutions

Young people are an important audience as they are the decision-makers of the future. Youth can also reach out to their families and friends to build further awareness. Reaching youth through the educational system allows for an effective and focused approach through ‘training the trainers’ (i.e., educators) and broadens the reach to many school aged children.

3. Policy Makers

Policy-makers are a key target audience since it is national and regional governments that need to develop and approve adaptation policies. Beneficial policies and directions from governments are also required to facilitate the response efforts of other sectoral and community based groups.

4. Private Sector

The private sector, particularly sectors that will be most affected by climate change (e.g., tourism, fishing, insurance, planning & development, etc.) are a key audience since they have a fundamental role to play advocating adapting to climate change by reaching out to their employees, communities and peers through training and modelling best practices.

Communities/ community related groups

Communities and related groups (e.g., religious groups, coastal community organizations, etc.) are key targets since it is at this level that citizens can most effectively be reached and motivated towards action. By targeting the local level - where people live and work – approaches and tools can be designed that are relevant and overcome specific barriers that are inherent in different locales.

Specific approaches and activities have been identified for each audience to ensure that actions are targeted to that specific group and that the medium is adapted to best reach and influence the target (see Section 6).

5. MESSAGES

While specific messages will be adapted for specific audience groups (see Section 6), overall messages have been determined to guide the content and flavour of national and audience-specific messaging campaigns.

The key messages are those that have the most resonance in the Caribbean and these should be communicated consistently across the region and incorporated into local messaging efforts. They include:

1. Climate change is already happening and can’t be ignored – it is affecting communities and industries now

2. Climate change is integral to sustainable development – it has social and economic impacts that can affect you

3. Something can be done – acting on climate change contributes to overall conservation and preservation efforts, and makes good economic sense

4. Get involved: the future is yours – learn about it and preserve your environment for future generations

6. ACTION PLAN

Key activities for each audience group have been were determined with the National Focal Points or their representatives at the April workshop and will be further refined by each participating country based on their needs and capacity. The following table summarises the national/local actions to be taken. While some of these activities can be accomplished under the current ACCC project, many of the activities will need to be continued under the follow-on project – Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC), funded by the Global Environmental Facility.

The ACCC project management and regional coordination unit will undertake the following to coordinate and support the national efforts: