Climate change narratives:language use in the circulation of climate knowledge

Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH); University of Bergen, Department of foreign languages, Department of psychosocial science, Geophysical institute, Department of information science and media studies, Department of linguistic, literary and aesthetic studies; Bjerknes centre for climate research; Uni Digital

Course leader:

  • Professor Trine Dahl, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH), Department of professional and intercultural communication (home page)

Deputy course leader:

In collaboration with:

  • Professor Gisela Bøhm, University of Bergen, Department of Psychosocial Science
  • Senior Researcher Trond Martin Dokken, Uni, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
  • Professor Helge Drange, University of Bergen, Geophysical Institute
  • Associate Professor Elisabeth Eide, University of Bergen, Department of Information Science and Media Studies/ Oslo University College, Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science
  • Associate Professor Jill M. Walker Rettberg, University of Bergen, Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies
  • Researcher Andrew Salway, Uni Digital

Invited guest lecturers:

  • Senior Research Fellow Michal Krzyzanowski, Department of Linguistics and English language, Lancaster University County College, United Kingdom (home page)



Short Course description

Climate change is a major global challenge which affects both advanced and less advanced economies. The complexities and uncertainties of climate change are presented, circulated and interpreted in a large variety of text and talk. Thus, the circulation of knowledge among scientists, media, politicians, activists and the general public constitutes an additional challenge. In the communication of climate change, language may seem to represent a limitation. However, language is also a resource, which may be used or misused in the circulation of the many different climate change ‘stories’. This course will focus on how the IPCC and other research-based organisations present climate change knowledge and on how this knowledge is received, interpreted and responded to in both mainstream and social media, in political and NGO contexts as well as by the general public. Different perspectives from different parts of the world (in a global North versus global South perspective) will be included.

For full course description and syllabus: click here (PDF)