Books
Liberalism and the Challenge of Climate Change. Routledge, 2024.
Shaw’s sharp critique convinces readers why we need radical shifts beyond our current norms. Dr Sibo Chen, Assistant Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Professional Communication.
In his excellent new book, Christopher Shaw examines the shibboleths of the liberal climate change regime. Chris Aylett, Research Associate, Chatham House.
Essential and urgent. Jonathan Crary, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Modern Art and Theory, Columbia University, New York
The Two Degrees Dangerous Limit For Climate Change. Routledge, 2015
Short listed for the Philip Abrams Memorial Prize, 2015.
“A well-researched and provocative interrogation of policy claims made about climate change.” Derek Wall, Author ‘Economics After Capitalism.
Selected Academic Papers/ Book Chapters
Doyle, J., Chiari, S., Pearl, P., Ellis, K., Völler, S., Shaw, C., & Hezel, B. (2024). Transforming young adults’ climate learning and actions through a co-created climate communication retreat. Environmental Education Research, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2348693.
Hampton, S., Blundel, R., Wahga, A., Fawcett, T. and Shaw, C. (2022). ‘Transforming small and medium‐sized enterprises to address the climate emergency: The case for values‐based engagement.’ Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1002/csr.2279
‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’ [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S. L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. 7 Chen, L. Goldfarb, M. I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T. K. Maycock, T. 8 Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press.
Sippell, M. Shaw, C. and Marshall, G. (2022). Ten Key Principles: How to Communicate Climate Change for Effective Public Engagement Climate Outreach Working Paper. Climate Outreach, Oxford 2022. DOI:
10.2139/ssrn.4151465
Pidcock, R., Heath, K., Messling, L., Wang, S., Pirani, A., Connors, S., Corner, A., Shaw, C. and Gomis, M. (2021). ‘Evaluating effective public engagement: local stories from a global network of IPCC scientists.’ Climatic Change (168:3-4). DOI: 10.1007/s10584-021-03230-w
Corner, A., Shaw, C., Capstick, S. and Pidgeon, N. (2021). ‘Climate Change Communication’. In Lemery, J., Knowlton, K and Sorensen, C (eds.) Global Climate Change and Human Health: From Science to Practice, 2nd Edition, Wiley.
Shaw, C., Hurth, V., Capstick, S. and Cox, E. (2018) ‘Intermediaries’ perspectives on the public’s role in the energy transitions needed to deliver UK climate change policy goals’. Energy Policy Vol 116 p. 267–276
Shaw, C and Corner, A. (2017) ‘Using Narrative Workshops to socialise the climate debate: lessons from two case studies – centre-right audiences and the Scottish public.’ Energy Research and Social Science. Vol. 31 273-283
Shaw, C. (2017) The Two Degrees Celsius Target. Oxford Research Encyclopaedia
Shaw, C. Hellsten, I and Nerlich, B. (2016). ‘Framing Risk and Uncertainty in Social Science Articles on Climate Change’, 1995-2012. In Communicating Risk (Eds. Crichton, J. Candlin, C. and Firkins A.S.) Palgrave MacmillanShaw, C (2016). ‘The role of rights, risks and responsibilities in the climate justice debate’. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management. Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 505-519. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2014-0127
Shaw, C (2016). The role of rights, risks and responsibilities in the climate justice debate. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management.
Newell, P, Bulkeley, H, Shaw, C et al. (2015). ‘Governance traps in climate change politics: re-framing the debate in terms of responsibilities and rights.’ WIREs Climate Change, Vol 6 (6) pp 535-540
Shaw, C and Nerlich, B (2015). ‘Metaphor as a mechanism of global climate governance: A study of international policies 1992-2012.’ Ecological Economics Vol. 109, pp. 31-40.
Kern, F, Smith, A, Shaw, C, Raven, R, and Verhees, B (2014). ‘From laggard to leader: Explaining offshore wind developments in the UK.’ Energy Policy. Vol. 69, pp. 635- 646.
Shaw, C (2015). Reframing climate risk to build public support for radical emission reductions: the role of deliberative democracy. Carbon Management.
Shaw, C (2013). ‘Choosing a dangerous limit for climate change: Public representations of the decision-making process.’ Global Environmental Change. 23 pp. 563-571
Shaw, C (2010). “The dangerous limits of dangerous limits: climate change and the precautionary principle”. In Nature, Society and Environmental Crisis, Eds. Carter, B and Charles, N. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
Selected High Impact Reports
Shaw, C and Wang, S. (2021). KNOCA Briefing No. 1: How Does the Framing of Climate Change Affect the Conclusions Reached in Climate Assemblies?
Corner, A., Shaw, C, and Jamie, C. (2018). Principles for effective communication and public engagement on climate change. A Handbook for IPCC authors outreach Project team Lead Authors Contributing Author Editing & Production
Corner, A., Shaw, C. and Clarke, J. (2017). Communicating Environmental and Sustainability Science – Challenges, opportunities, and the changing political context. A Knowledge Report for Mistra. Oxford: Climate Outreach.
Marshall, G., Yashwant, S., Shaw, C. and Clarke, J. (2017). Communicating climate change in India: a Global Narratives project. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Marshall, G., Shaw, C. and Clarke, J. (2017). Global Narratives of climate change: a new approach topublic engagement research. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Shaw, C. and Corner, A. (2017). Public engagement with climate change post-Brexit: a centre-right perspective. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Shaw, C., Corner, A., Clarke J. (2017). Climate Visuals. Towards a new visual language for COP22 and beyond. Supplementary report: A comparison of images from COP21 and COP22. Climate Outreach
Shaw, C. (2016). Climate Change Public Conversation Series. Framework for Developing Conversations. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Shaw, C (2014). Moving the climate debate forward: Re-thinking rights, risks and responsibilities. Living With Environmental Change Policy and Practice Note. Note No. 14
Craig, A., James, R. A., Archer, E., Daron, J., Jack, C. D., Jones, R. G., Shaw, C., …S Vincent, K. (2025). How is climate science used to inform national-level adaptation planning in southern Africa? Climate Policy, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2488988
Doyle, J., Chiari, S., Pearl, P., Ellis, K., Völler, S., Shaw, C., & Hezel, B. (2024). Transforming young adults’ climate learning and actions through a co-created climate communication retreat. Environmental Education Research, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2348693.
Hampton, S., Blundel, R., Wahga, A., Fawcett, T. and Shaw, C. (2022). ‘Transforming small and medium‐sized enterprises to address the climate emergency: The case for values‐based engagement.’ Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1002/csr.2279
‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’ [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S. L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. 7 Chen, L. Goldfarb, M. I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T. K. Maycock, T. 8 Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press.
Sippell, M. Shaw, C. and Marshall, G. (2022). Ten Key Principles: How to Communicate Climate Change for Effective Public Engagement Climate Outreach Working Paper. Climate Outreach, Oxford 2022. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4151465
Pidcock, R., Heath, K., Messling, L., Wang, S., Pirani, A., Connors, S., Corner, A., Shaw, C. and Gomis, M. (2021). ‘Evaluating effective public engagement: local stories from a global network of IPCC scientists.’ Climatic Change (168:3-4). DOI: 10.1007/s10584-021-03230-w
Corner, A., Shaw, C., Capstick, S. and Pidgeon, N. (2021). ‘Climate Change Communication’. In Lemery, J., Knowlton, K and Sorensen, C (eds.) Global Climate Change and Human Health: From Science to Practice, 2nd Edition, Wiley.
CShaw, C., Hurth, V., Capstick, S. and Cox, E. (2018) ‘Intermediaries’ perspectives on the public’s role in the energy transitions needed to deliver UK climate change policy goals’. Energy Policy Vol 116 p. 267–276
CShaw, C., Hurth, V., Capstick, S. and Cox, E. (2018) ‘Intermediaries’ perspectives on the public’s role in the energy transitions needed to deliver UK climate change policy goals’. Energy Policy Vol 116 p. 267–276
Shaw, C and Corner, A. (2017) ‘Using Narrative Workshops to socialise the climate debate: lessons from two case studies – centre-right audiences and the Scottish public.’ Energy Research and Social Science. Vol. 31 273-283
Shaw, C. (2017) The Two Degrees Celsius Target. Oxford Research Encyclopaedia
Shaw, C. Hellsten, I and Nerlich, B. (2016). ‘Framing Risk and Uncertainty in Social Science Articles on Climate Change’,
1995-2012. In Communicating Risk (Eds. Crichton, J. Candlin, C. and Firkins A.S.) Palgrave MacmillanShaw, C (2016). ‘The role of rights, risks and responsibilities in the climate justice debate’. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management. Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 505-519. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2014-0127
Shaw, C (2016). The role of rights, risks and responsibilities in the climate justice debate. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management.
Newell, P, Bulkeley, H, Shaw, C et al. (2015). ‘Governance traps in climate change politics: re-framing the debate in terms of responsibilities and rights.’ WIREs Climate Change, Vol 6 (6) pp 535-540
Shaw, C and Nerlich, B (2015). ‘Metaphor as a mechanism of global climate governance: A study of international policies 1992-2012.’ Ecological Economics Vol. 109, pp. 31-40.
Kern, F, Smith, A, Shaw, C, Raven, R, and Verhees, B (2014). ‘From laggard to leader: Explaining offshore wind developments in the UK.’ Energy Policy. Vol. 69, pp. 635- 646.
Shaw, C (2015). Reframing climate risk to build public support for radical emission reductions: the role of deliberative democracy. Carbon Management.
Shaw, C (2013). ‘Choosing a dangerous limit for climate change: Public representations of the decision-making process.’ Global Environmental Change. 23 pp. 563-571
Shaw, C (2010). “The dangerous limits of dangerous limits: climate change and the precautionary principle”. In Nature, Society and Environmental Crisis, Eds. Carter, B and Charles, N. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
Shaw, C and Wang, S. (2021). KNOCA Briefing No. 1: How Does the Framing of Climate Change Affect the Conclusions Reached in Climate Assemblies?
Corner, A., Shaw, C, and Jamie, C. (2018). Principles for effective communication and public engagement on climate change. A Handbook for IPCC authors.
Corner, A., Shaw, C. and Clarke, J. (2017). Communicating Environmental and Sustainability Science – Challenges, opportunities, and the changing political context. A Knowledge Report for Mistra. Oxford: Climate Outreach.
Marshall, G., Yashwant, S., Shaw, C. and Clarke, J. (2017). Communicating climate change in India: a Global Narratives project. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Marshall, G., Shaw, C. and Clarke, J. (2017). Global Narratives of climate change: a new approach topublic engagement research. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Shaw, C. and Corner, A. (2017). Public engagement with climate change post-Brexit: a centre-right perspective. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Shaw, C., Corner, A., Clarke J. (2017). Climate Visuals. Towards a new visual language for COP22 and beyond. Supplementary report: A comparison of images from COP21 and COP22. Climate Outreach
Shaw, C. (2016). Climate Change Public Conversation Series. Framework for Developing Conversations. Oxford: Climate Outreach
Shaw, C (2014). Moving the climate debate forward: Re-thinking rights, risks and responsibilities. Living With Environmental Change Policy and Practice Note. Note No. 14
Climate Chris 