Abstract
Citizens need to make informed decisions about climate change and associated risks, such as changes in temperature, rainfall or hazards such as flooding. Scientific institutions, government agencies, or non-governmental organizations often communicate about climate change and associated risks, with the aim of accurately informing the public about the underlying scientific evidence. This talk will present examples from my past and ongoing empirical research on the barriers that individuals face when they try to understand such communications and make informed decisions, as well as suggestions about how to overcome barriers. I will include examples about supposedly simple terminology, or numbers such as the 1.5°C temperature rise, probabilities of climate change risks, or the uncertainties associated with such statistics. I will close with an outlook onto how climate change communications addressing general audiences could harness insights from the science of science communication (Bruine de Bruin & Bostrom, 2013) or the wisdom of (scientific) crowds (Holford et al., 2023).