Communicating sustainability issues can be difficult, especially to people not broadly receptive to this subject. Climate related matters can be especially problematic, due to the politicisation and misconceptions that have developed (and even been nurtured) in recent years.
Dr Nick Fleming, Director – Business Innovation at Jacobs SKM will share some ‘lessons learnt’ on effective engagement of decision makers with sustainability issues. Paul Connor, social psychological researcher at The University of Melbourne, will explore the some key psychological research findings relating to climate change communication. A third speaker, yet to be confirmed, will relate knowledge from their experience in media and communications in the sustainability industry.
Dr Nick Fleming, Director – Business Innovation, Jacobs SKM
Nick has over 20 years professional experience in the water, natural resources, infrastructure, mining and defence sectors across multiple markets including Australia, New Zealand, south-east Asia, the UK and Americas. He is routinely invited to deliver keynote presentations to a range of local and international industry events, and recently co-authored an internationally acclaimed book outlining how to achieve sustainable design of infrastructure and transformation in the associated organisations.
His past roles include Chief Sustainability Officer and Technology & Innovation Manager at Sinclair Knight Merz. Nick currently serves in roles as Chairman of the Sustainability Taskforce Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, and Director of the Board, Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia.
Paul Connor, Social Psychological academic at The University of Melbourne
Paul Connor is currently working as a research assistant at The University of Melbourne and undertaking a research project focused on climate change communication as part of a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. Paul was a contributor to the 2013 Psychology for a Safe Climate Conference, which focused on how our society can understand and move beyond the current stalemate - indeed the current apathy - towards the reality of climate change. Paul’s presentation focused on ‘Climate Change Message Framing – The Risks and Opportunities of Conflicts with Pre-Existing Worldviews’.