Public discourse on CO₂ transformation technologies: Lessons from a German study

Energy Reports, vol. 13, pp. 5463–5473

Abstract

In the context of climate change, emission intensive sectors such as aviation face the need to mitigate environmental impacts while demand is still rising. The use of CO 2 -based fuel offers the opportunity to make flight travel less carbon intensive. Understanding public perception of technological approaches like CO 2 -based jet fueled travel plays a pivotal role in enabling the integration of sustainable technologies. To explore how to communicate about CO 2 -based aviation fuel, we used a mixed-method approach. Following qualitative interviews (n = 12) to identify relevant elements in lay communication, a subsequent online survey of n = 152 participants was carried out to quantify the results. The analysis of the collected data identified various public information needs, such as information about CO 2 -based fuel's sustainability, development, and production. Furthermore, we discovered that factors such as communicator preference, as well as information content and preparation are linked to user characteristics such as environmental awareness, and attitudes towards flying as a mode of transportation. Recommendations for recipient-oriented communication strategies can be formulated based on these results.

Authors 3

1. Linda Engelmann corresponding Aachen Chair of Communication Science

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Communication Science, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

2. Julia Offermann Aachen Chair of Communication Science

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Communication Science, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

3. Martina Ziefle Aachen Chair of Communication Science

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Communication Science, RWTH Aachen University, Germany