The United Nations is expected to and must play a key role in providing some of the answers and information that wider society expects. UNEP has been given the UN system lead in climate change outreach.
Audiences throughout the world are increasingly exposed to climate related stories — predominantly negative and inadequately solution oriented.
UNEP’s activities will be undertaken in collaboration with partners to ensure coordination and the highest impact possible, and will both guide and be informed by the UN Communications Group Task Force on Climate Change.
The focus of UNEP’s interventions is to:
- Develop strategic communications, including through mutually reinforcing messages with the UNFCCC Secretariat, to convey a sense of urgency in dealing with climate change;
- Use media and outreach activities to help deliver key messages on climate change, especially those derived from UNEP Climate Change publications, to the media and other target groups;
- Help communicate successful climate change programmes to key stakeholders to promote replication of best practices and success stories using the Internet and audiovisual tools.
This includes promotion of networking and social outreach amongst internet savvy audiences using a variety of tools including Twitter, Facebook Seal the Deal! Facebook UNEP – Tunza, RenRen social networking, the World Climate Community and Youtube
UNEP also supports the SEED initiative which identifies, profiles and supports promising, locally-driven, start-up enterprises working in partnership in developing countries to improve livelihoods, tackle poverty and marginalisation, and manage natural resources sustainably. SEED develops learning resources for the broad community of social and environmental entrepreneurs, informs policy- and decision-makers, and aims to inspire innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to sustainable development.