As societal challenges such as climate change become increasingly complex, approaches encompassing citizen science, public engagement, and community-led initiatives are recognized as essential strategies for developing sustainable solutions through inclusive participation of communities, enterprises, governments, and indigenous groups.

This special issue of Geoscience Communication showcases contributions from a dedicated session at the EGU General Assembly 2025 called Citizen Science and Co-creating with Communities, which focused on the vital role of knowledge co-creation in participatory and transdisciplinary research. The session highlighted how co-creation, co-production, and co-design serve as collaborative methods that bridge academia and society, embodying the ethos of science with society rather than science for society. Contributors to this special issue are invited from the presentations in the EGU conference session, but we also welcome new submissions in order to reflect a collective effort to promote participatory engagement and knowledge co-creation in the geosciences.

We encourage contributions of diverse case studies and methodological insights from across disciplines, illustrating levels of community involvement ranging from initial consultation to active participation in data collection and knowledge co-creation. The special issue aims to not only showcase best practices but also critically examine challenges faced in implementing participatory processes. By sharing key lessons and strategies, the issue seeks to promote wider adoption of participatory methods within mainstream scientific activities and to foster equitable collaborations that empower underrepresented communities.

Humanity’s impact on the Earth, especially the climate and the ocean, constitutes an existential threat of unprecedented magnitude. The consequences are dire, including the loss of life and ecosystems, parts of the Earth being rendered uninhabitable, species extinction, and increased vulnerability to disasters.

Effective education and communication are crucial components of climate and ocean change mitigation and adaptation. By imparting knowledge, reinforcing skills, and fostering awareness, education and communication have the power to enable individuals to understand the complexities of the climate and ocean crisis and its existential implications. Education and communication cultivate a sense of responsibility, motivating individuals to adopt sustainable practices and make informed decisions. Education and communication are closely connected and mutually reinforcing: most forms of education depend on communication, and communication is often educational.

Education needs to equip present and future generations with the skills needed to innovate, develop social justice, and advocate for policy changes. Communication fosters critical thinking, enabling us to challenge harmful practices and embrace environmentally conscious alternatives. Thus, education and communication have a heavy responsibility with respect to creating a knowledgeable and engaged citizenry and laying the foundation for collective action and a sustainable future.

We solicit contributions (e.g. original research articles and review articles) from researchers, practitioners, educators, students, policymakers, communicators, activists, and artists working across different sectors (e.g. academia, industry, and nongovernmental organizations). This will be a unique opportunity to explore and enhance climate and ocean communication and education.

With respect to the scope of this special issue, we welcome research articles that investigate a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

• best practices in and innovative approaches to climate and ocean education and communication;
• the ethics and geoethics of climate and ocean education and communication, including social justice and equity;
• the role of technology (including artificial intelligence) and new media in climate and ocean education and communication;
• the intersection of climate and ocean education and communication with other issues, such as biodiversity, sustainable development, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• the impact of climate and ocean education and communication on public opinion, policy, and behaviour;
• the integration of climate and ocean literacy into formal and informal education;
• the role of geoscience research in advancing climate and ocean education and communication;
• scientific investigation of outreach initiatives targeting different age groups, settings, and approaches;
• learners’ content and procedural knowledge of climate science and options for action (e.g. climate feedbacks, impacts, adaptation measures, and renewable energy), cultivating science and communication skills (e.g. quantitative literacy, critical thinking, and writing to inform), initiating positive attitudes and actions (e.g. empathy and behavioural change), and issues related to the transfer of education into action and to timescales needed for mindset and behavioural change.

For more information, please see the dedicated website: https://oceansclimate.wixsite.com/oceansclimate/gc-special

Join us in shaping the future of geoscience communication and sustainability on Earth and beyond! This special issue of Geoscience Communication – Sustainable Development of Earth and Outer Space: A New Human Productivity Strategy – invites submissions from educators, researchers, and interdisciplinary teams that explore how technology applications, new media, policy frameworks, and innovative technologies can advance sustainability in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial contexts. We particularly welcome contributions addressing the following themes: sustainable space exploration, space–earth interlinkages, policy, ethical dimensions (including the impact of space debris and light pollution on astronomy), technological innovations, new media's role, higher education's influence, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. We seek submissions investigating how satellite technologies can be integrated into space missions to examine and alleviate climate change and how these missions can influence international sustainability goals. Submissions address the broader environmental impacts of space missions, including carbon dioxide emissions, the release of particles (water, greenhouse gases, etc.) into the upper atmosphere, and the general ecological footprint of space exploration. We encourage submissions highlighting the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing space exploration's environmental and climatic impacts and developing sustainable practices that benefit both Earth and outer space. We encourage original research, conceptual papers, case studies, and practice-oriented articles. Submissions will showcase how geoscience can catalyse collaboration across fields – preparing students and the public to become future leaders in sustainable resource management and space exploration.

As societal challenges such as climate change become increasingly complex, approaches encompassing citizen science, public engagement, and community-led initiatives are recognized as essential strategies for developing sustainable solutions through inclusive participation of communities, enterprises, governments, and indigenous groups.

This special issue of Geoscience Communication showcases contributions from a dedicated session at the EGU General Assembly 2025 called Citizen Science and Co-creating with Communities, which focused on the vital role of knowledge co-creation in participatory and transdisciplinary research. The session highlighted how co-creation, co-production, and co-design serve as collaborative methods that bridge academia and society, embodying the ethos of science with society rather than science for society. Contributors to this special issue are invited from the presentations in the EGU conference session, but we also welcome new submissions in order to reflect a collective effort to promote participatory engagement and knowledge co-creation in the geosciences.

We encourage contributions of diverse case studies and methodological insights from across disciplines, illustrating levels of community involvement ranging from initial consultation to active participation in data collection and knowledge co-creation. The special issue aims to not only showcase best practices but also critically examine challenges faced in implementing participatory processes. By sharing key lessons and strategies, the issue seeks to promote wider adoption of participatory methods within mainstream scientific activities and to foster equitable collaborations that empower underrepresented communities.

Join us in shaping the future of geoscience communication and sustainability on Earth and beyond! This special issue of Geoscience Communication – Sustainable Development of Earth and Outer Space: A New Human Productivity Strategy – invites submissions from educators, researchers, and interdisciplinary teams that explore how technology applications, new media, policy frameworks, and innovative technologies can advance sustainability in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial contexts. We particularly welcome contributions addressing the following themes: sustainable space exploration, space–earth interlinkages, policy, ethical dimensions (including the impact of space debris and light pollution on astronomy), technological innovations, new media's role, higher education's influence, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. We seek submissions investigating how satellite technologies can be integrated into space missions to examine and alleviate climate change and how these missions can influence international sustainability goals. Submissions address the broader environmental impacts of space missions, including carbon dioxide emissions, the release of particles (water, greenhouse gases, etc.) into the upper atmosphere, and the general ecological footprint of space exploration. We encourage submissions highlighting the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing space exploration's environmental and climatic impacts and developing sustainable practices that benefit both Earth and outer space. We encourage original research, conceptual papers, case studies, and practice-oriented articles. Submissions will showcase how geoscience can catalyse collaboration across fields – preparing students and the public to become future leaders in sustainable resource management and space exploration.

Humanity’s impact on the Earth, especially the climate and the ocean, constitutes an existential threat of unprecedented magnitude. The consequences are dire, including the loss of life and ecosystems, parts of the Earth being rendered uninhabitable, species extinction, and increased vulnerability to disasters.

Effective education and communication are crucial components of climate and ocean change mitigation and adaptation. By imparting knowledge, reinforcing skills, and fostering awareness, education and communication have the power to enable individuals to understand the complexities of the climate and ocean crisis and its existential implications. Education and communication cultivate a sense of responsibility, motivating individuals to adopt sustainable practices and make informed decisions. Education and communication are closely connected and mutually reinforcing: most forms of education depend on communication, and communication is often educational.

Education needs to equip present and future generations with the skills needed to innovate, develop social justice, and advocate for policy changes. Communication fosters critical thinking, enabling us to challenge harmful practices and embrace environmentally conscious alternatives. Thus, education and communication have a heavy responsibility with respect to creating a knowledgeable and engaged citizenry and laying the foundation for collective action and a sustainable future.

We solicit contributions (e.g. original research articles and review articles) from researchers, practitioners, educators, students, policymakers, communicators, activists, and artists working across different sectors (e.g. academia, industry, and nongovernmental organizations). This will be a unique opportunity to explore and enhance climate and ocean communication and education.

With respect to the scope of this special issue, we welcome research articles that investigate a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

• best practices in and innovative approaches to climate and ocean education and communication;
• the ethics and geoethics of climate and ocean education and communication, including social justice and equity;
• the role of technology (including artificial intelligence) and new media in climate and ocean education and communication;
• the intersection of climate and ocean education and communication with other issues, such as biodiversity, sustainable development, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• the impact of climate and ocean education and communication on public opinion, policy, and behaviour;
• the integration of climate and ocean literacy into formal and informal education;
• the role of geoscience research in advancing climate and ocean education and communication;
• scientific investigation of outreach initiatives targeting different age groups, settings, and approaches;
• learners’ content and procedural knowledge of climate science and options for action (e.g. climate feedbacks, impacts, adaptation measures, and renewable energy), cultivating science and communication skills (e.g. quantitative literacy, critical thinking, and writing to inform), initiating positive attitudes and actions (e.g. empathy and behavioural change), and issues related to the transfer of education into action and to timescales needed for mindset and behavioural change.

For more information, please see the dedicated website: https://oceansclimate.wixsite.com/oceansclimate/gc-special