Understanding Factors That Influence Risk Perception in Strategic Communication: The Case of CCUS Communication

This chapter addresses research results regarding the past and current messages disseminated about Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) in Romania, as well as how new messages about CCUS are perceived by stakeholders. The research was conducted within the ACT ALIGN CCUS Project, funded by the European Commission to accelerate the demonstration and implementation of CCUS by addressing specific R&D gaps across the CCUS chain (act-ccs.eu/align). Media analysis and website analysis were conducted in Romania to identify the current and past core messages about CCUS used in society, while focus group research was conducted to test new core messages among citizens in Romania. The media analysis results show that media coverage and representations of CCUS for the time periods analysed were low in Romania, while the overall tone of the articles identified was relatively positive, as expressed by the division of arguments in favour of versus against CCUS. The CCUS topic is scarce on stakeholder websites in Romania. The results of the focus group study show that participants in the industrial area considered both environmental and economic benefits important, whereas participants in the non-industrial area considered environmental benefits more important. Most of the participants in the two focus groups expressed concerns about the safety of storage and transport, expressing the need to prevent further climate change. The CCUS messages testing shows the need for clarity, accessibility and appeal to citizens’ personal interests. This research was relevant for investigating the public debate on CCUS technologies in its early stages of development.