Willie O’Reilly: New approach needed for public to buy into climate action

A burning issue can become a boring issue pretty quickly, unless urgency is maintained through a vigorous public information campaign

‘Can the public be guided in changing their behaviour? And who has the experience to formulate and lead such a communication plan?’ Picture: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Judging by the level of media coverage it received, you’d have to believe that Cop26 has united the world behind a simple idea: saving the planet. Glasgow has been the centre of a world debate for almost two weeks and the story, predictably, has dominated news headlines as the unthinkable becomes the inevitable.

The fact that so many world leaders turned up – excepting Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping – can only suggest ...