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Since climate change threatens all countries around the world, regardless of their degree of development, communicating that threat is a fundamental challenge, an expert said in Cancun.

Rebecca Nadin, director of British Council Climate Change Program in China, told China.org.cn that telling the story of climate change, its causes and effects, and the ways in which people can contribute in the fight against it, remains a difficult task for any party involved, including the scientific community, governments, the media or NGOs.

"Efforts to communicate climate change in a simple, clear and persuasive manner have not been totally successful," she said.

Rebecca Nadin, director of British Council Climate Change Program in China, delivered a speech. [By Wang Ke / China.org.cn]

Competing positions still exist regarding the severity of the phenomenon and the appropriate collective response. On one hand, increased public interest in a number of issues related to climate change has helped push the issue to the forefront of public debate, but at the same time some say a sense of fatigue has developed in several sectors of society toward environmental subjects as a whole.

"Bearing in mind that public support is essential in the process of adopting the necessary national and international policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, this trend in public opinion should concern us all," Nadin said.

She said there is growing interest in deepening climate awareness around the world and all sides to the issue agree on this point.

"We should share more ideas and identify best practices in addressing common challenges, and at the same time contribute to consensus building," she said.

She hopes experts in science, public diplomacy and communications and members of NGOs and the private sector can work together to achieve greater public understanding about the challenges of climate change.

"Public opinion on climate change should be well collected and analyzed," she said. "Through education and the efforts of media, we can let more and more people focus on climate changes."

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