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165 Preparing for final exams  Stories are the means by which people make sense of the world, learn values, form beliefs, and give shape to their lives. Stories are every- where; in myth, comedy, and even stained-glass windows. But for the most part, they are absent from climate change communication.  Furthermore, by reorienting and restructuring the IPCC – so that it provides ‘user-friendly’ and relevant scientific facts, tailored to the needs of different audiences and stakeholders – its influence and effectiveness could increase dramatically. Do policymakers need a mammoth report every five years? Are the scientists involved making the best use of their time?  If the IPCC was structured to create an effective public and political response to climate change, the assessment reports would begin with ‘backward planning’, starting with what their audiences need to understand the scientific data. These audiences, focus groups or opinion leaders, would have the capacity to bring about rapid social, technological and economic change. This would most likely involve policymakers, but it would certainly not be limited to this group.  Answering questions like “What does the construction sector need to know about climate change in order to create low-carbon infrastructure? How can conservationists get the facts they need about climate change to design programmes for improvement?” could be a promising strategy. Thinking about different approaches you could also ask “How will programmes of healthcare for the elderly be impacted in a changing climate?”  These changes in the way the reports are compiled would not be easy to implement. And it is worth reflecting on how many person-hours have already been poured into the IPCC process over almost a quarter of a century, and how poor the political and public response has been so far. The terms of the IPCC are ultimately set by the governments that comprise the UN. This means that they can be changed by putting pressure on those who jointly oversee the funding and operation of the organisation.  By working with a range of stakeholders whose stories can lend cultural credibility to the scientific consensus – voices and groups from across the social and political spectrum – the science of the IPCC can and must be brought to life. 0 What does the IPCC produce? Q1 Who do the IPCC’s papers primarily target? Q2 Even though the IPCC’s work has hardly had any impact on public opinion, what did it help to eliminate? Q3 How does the IPCC fail to make its message understood? Q4 What impact could real-life narratives have on the public’s understanding of scientific facts? Q5 Which other groups could differently designed IPCC reports reach? Q6 Who decides on the way the IPCC conducts their work? Q7 What do the IPCC reports lack in order to make them influential? reports on climate change Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv