Climate change communication: individual challenges and corporate perspectives

Climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a social issue and a communication issue as well. This is why in the framework of the 2nd level Specializing Master’s programme “Climate Change: adaptation and mitigation solutions” offered by Politecnico di Torino, we organize every year a public seminar focusing on climate change communication.

The 2-day seminar aims to:

• discuss the role of journalism, communication and psychology in addressing the growing phenomenon of eco-anxiety that is affecting the global society and especially the youngest;
• address responsible communication at corporate level, and how companies talk about themselves from the point of view of environment, sustainability, ecological transition and climate compliance.

DAY 1: ECO-PSYCHOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION TO EMBRACE THE CLIMATE CRISIS
November 18th, 2.00 - 5.45 pm Italian time (CET)
Given the rise of anxieties, fears, psychosis among young people faced with climate change and its impacts, this panel intends to discuss how the hybridisation of journalism, communication and psychology can and must elicit a new form of popularisation capable of involving and engaging even the most hostile audiences.
The seminar is organized under the patronage of the Presidency of FAI Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta.

PROGRAMME

• 2.00 pm: Registration
• 2.30 pm: Welcome greetings and introduction by Marco Piras, Deputy Head of Department of Politecnico di Torino-DIATI and Coordinator of the Master’s Programme and Marco Merola, scientific journalist, founder of the webdoc Adaptation.it, and lecturer at the Master’s programme.
• 2.50 pm: Camilla Gamba, eco-psychologist and communicator
• 3.05 pm: Lorenzo Colombo, co-curator of the scientific communication project CHPDB - Chi ha paura del buio? (Who’s afraid of the dark?)
• 3.20 pm: Nicolas Lozito, journalist at La Stampa, author of the newsletter “Il colore verde” (Green colour) on climate change
• 3.35 pm: Maria Teresa Salvati, communicator and founder of the project “Everything is connected”, author of the “Emozionario ambientale" (environmental emotional project)
• 3.50 pm: Coffee break
• 4.10 pm: Ginevra Zolli, communicator of the community Greencome
• 4.25 pm: Alessia Conti, President of the Italian National Council of University Students (CNSU)
• 4.40 pm: Round table with the speakers and Alvise Mattozzi, Associate professor in Sociology, Politecnico di Torino – DIATI. Moderator: Marco Merola
• 5.30 pm: Maurizio Rivolta, Vice-President FAI- Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (the National Trust for Italy)
• 5.45 pm: End of the seminar

DAY 2: CLIMATE AND BUSINESS: THE ERA OF “SUSTAINABLE” COMMUNICATION
November 19th, 9.15 am - 12.45 pm Italian time (CET)
The seminar focuses on the type of communication adopted by companies and corporations to talk about their role in the ecological transition, the professional profiles involved in the "storytelling chain" and the risks of greenwashing.

PROGRAMME

• 9.15 am: Registration
• 9.30 am: Welcome greetings and introduction by Marco Piras, Deputy Head of Department of Politecnico di Torino-DIATI and Coordinator of the Master’s Programme Marco Merola, scientific journalist, founder of the webdoc Adaptation.it, and lecturer at the Master’s programme.
• 9.50 am: Alessandra Bianco, Corporate Communication Director, Lavazza Group
• 10.05 am: Mariagiovanna Gaglione, Senior researcher, ENEA - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
• 10.20 am: Marco Giulivi, Head of ESG - CEO’s Office & Sustainability, Edison SpA
• 10.35 am: Coffee break
• 10.55 am: Laura Busacchi, Legal counsel, Confindustria Ceramica (Association of Italian ceramics)
• 11.10 am: Stefano Valentino, freelance journalist (online)
• 11.25 am: Round table with the speakers. Moderator: Marco Merola
• 12.00 pm: Presentation of "FOR 2025 – Festival for the Earth" and signature of the Memorandum of Understanding. Introduction by Daniela Carrea, Producer and Partnership Manager Festival For the Earth and Mauro Buonocore, Head of the Communication and Media Office, CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change)
• 12.45 pm: End of the seminar

Participation is free, please register here to attend either one or both seminars: click here.

Both events will be streamed live on DIATI YouTube channel