Navigating Climate Scepticism

Published: 22 May 2026

Workshop situation. People sitting around table looking at a sheet of paper.

#EUKICON26 || Day 1 || 02:00 PM

The workshop offered a hands-on and concise introduction to understanding climate scepticism and responding to it effectively.

Summary

Half of Europeans miss reliable information on climate change in the media (1). This gap can be filled by NGOs focusing on climate-related issues. In this workshop, climate journalist Boris Schneider and communications expert Fritz Schumann introduced techniques to navigate the rough seas of climate skepticism:

The R-E-A-C-T-model suggests proactive information, with real experts, traceable

Conclusions and transparency
Strength-based-writing focuses on what is working, not on what is broken
Prebunking raises awareness and builds resilience against disinformation
An Accusation Audit prepares you for biased comments

Participants developed strategies around the issue of Critical Raw Materials: Necessary for renewable technologies, but mining and importing bring their own issues. “Consume less, recycle more” was a mission statement by one crew, another focused on opening up a dialogue and addressing legitimate concerns. In the end, everyone realized the need to join forces when your resources are limited.

Facilitators

Boris Schneider, Clean Energy Wire

Fritz Schumann, Communications Expert