5 Conclusions
105. Successive Government efforts
to create a clear narrative that ensuresa discourse about climate
change that is coherent, constructive and results in proper public
engagement has been disappointingly limited.
106. The Government's hands-off approach
to engaging with the public and the media, relying heavily on
scientists as the most prominent voice, has a resulted in a vacuum
that has allowed inaccurate arguments to flourish with little
effective challenge.
107. If the Government is to demonstrate
its climate policies are evidence based, it needs to be an authoritative
and trusted voice which explains the current state of climate
science.It is important that climate science is presented separately
from any subsequent policy response. We recommend that the
Government work with the learned societies and national academies
to develop a source of information on climate science that is
discrete from policy delivery, comprehensible to the general public
and responsive to both current developments and uncertainties
in the science.
108. We have always sought to ascertain
that policy is evidence based.We remain convinced that peer review
is the best current option for judging the strength of science
in any issue.Peer reviewed science is overwhelmingly of the view
that anthropogenic climate change exists.
109. Science is the ultimate sceptic,
challenging theories and opinion and ready to abandon or adapt
as the available evidence changes. Genuine scepticism should be
embraced by the climate science community. Dogma on either side
of the debate should be revealed as such.
110. To achieve the necessary
commitment from the public to climate policy, the Government must
demonstrate a coherent approach to communicating both the scientific
basis and the proposed solutions. We recommend that the Government
consolidates its strategic approach to communicating climate science
across all Departments, formulate the principles of that approach
and make it public. All Ministers should acquaint themselves with
the science of climate change and then they, and their Departments,
should reflect the Government approach in person, in media interviews
and online by a presenting a clear and consistent message.
|