K3 - the German-language congress on climate communication is heading into its second round: Following Salzburg (2017), the "K3 - Congress on Climate Change, Communication and Society" will take place from 24 to 25 September in the Baden science metropolis of Karlsruhe. The local host is the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

The backdrop to the congress is a persistent discrepancy: climate change is one of the greatest threats to humanity – yet people often seem to take only a passing interest in it. Researchers are developing ever more knowledge about climate change and promising counter-strategies – but politics and society are moving far less than would be necessary. How global warming and its limitation can be brought more firmly into the public spotlight, and what new approaches to climate communication might look like – that's what this two-day event is all about.

Climate change and its consequences are among our greatest challenges. KIT conducts research into key climate questions and, together with partner institutions in Germany and Europe, develops the decision-making knowledge that politics and business need. In this context, communicating possible courses of action to society and engaging in dialogue with society play particularly important roles, says KIT President Professor Holger Hanselka.

The K3 Congress is being organised by a coalition of organisers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland: the Climate Change Centre Austria (<link https: www.ots.at presseaussendung ots_20181205_ots0135 ccca.ac.at _blank>CCCA), the German Climate Consortium (DKK), the Swiss National Centre for Climate Services (NCCS), ProClim from the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), and the non-profit science portal klimafakten.de.

In recent decades, the focus of research has been on the natural sciences – that is, on investigating the causes and consequences of climate change, explains Marie-Luise Beck from the DKK. The fundamental principles of the climate system are now understood. What's becoming increasingly important are societal debates and political decisions aimed at solving the problem – and that's where the social and cultural sciences take centre stage.

Making scientific findings useful in practice

At the congress, high-profile speakers from home and abroad will provide an overview of the current international state of research on climate communication.

When it comes to global warming, traditional forms of science communication are reaching their limits – as we can see from climate change deniers, says Isabella Uhl-Hädicke, board member of CCCA. But this is less surprising than it might initially appear, if you take seriously the insights from social psychology and cognitive science.

The K3 Congress also places new forms of climate communication and the dissemination of findings from climate science at its centre, exploring, amongst other things, what role art and culture can play in this. The organisers are being advised on the design of the conference programme by a programme advisory board made up of distinguished representatives from academia and practice.

Disciplines such as sociology, political science, linguistics, and media and communication studies have a great deal to say about how people think about climate change and the associated risks, and how decisions on climate protection are made – or indeed not made, emphasises Urs Neu from ProClim. In Karlsruhe, we want to present the latest research findings in a way that practitioners can actually use – for example, climate protection managers in municipalities or businesses, politicians and non-governmental organisations, or journalists.

All information and the newsletter sign-up can be found on the K3 website at:

<link https: k3-klimakongress.org _blank>k3-klimakongress.org 

Follow the congress on Twitter: <link https: twitter.com k3klima _blank>twitter.com/k3klima