The ClimateVisions project is a comprehensive study of images central role in climate change discourse. While computational methods have significantly advanced textual analysis in political and social science, little attention has been paid to harnessing images as a powerful means of evoking emotional responses and shaping public perception. Despite the increasing availability of large datasets and the proliferation of social media platforms that facilitate the dissemination of visual content, a critical gap remains in understanding the nuanced interplay between images, social attitudes, and political mobilisation about climate change. This project seeks to fill this gap by delving into the dynamics of image consumption and social media reception to unravel the complex relationship between visual narratives of climate change and their impact on user engagement and sentiment.

With growing environmental concern and the rise of youth protest movements such as Fridays For Future, the importance of visual imagery in fostering political participation and driving collective action is becoming increasingly manifest. By investigating which images evoke powerful reactions and emotional responses among social media users, this project aims to understand the mechanisms through which visual narratives of climate change impact online communities. Through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates insights from computational science, computational social science, political psychology and media studies, this research aims to provide valuable insights into harnessing the communicative power of images to drive discourse, advocacy, and public engagement around the pressing issue of climate change.

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