An assessment of different public engagement and communication techniques for diverse audiences in South Africa with recommendations for the Pilot CO2 storage project

Abstract

This research report presents an analysis of applicable types of public engagement and communication techniques for demographically diverse, non-technical audiences. It further investigates the simplification of technical topics in order to successfully communicate the topics to these audiences. The analysis shows that the demographic diversity of the target audience has a significant influence on the public engagement and communication techniques to be used, i.e. specifically the age profile of the target audience, the prominence of traditional authorities in the target area and the language spoken by the communities. A review of analogous projects concluded that technical topics can be sufficiently simplified for non-technical audiences, given that key messages are framed in a relevant landscape. The research suggests that the South African Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage (SACCCS) should consider the recommendations summarised in this report for their planned Pilot CO2 Storage Project (PCSP) in order to enhance their engagement efforts. Keywords: CCS; PCSP; public engagement; communication techniques; demographic diversity; non-technical audience