We need to re-think how we communicate about climate change
Because climate change has a reputation problem
ABSTRACT COMMUNICATION
The way we talk about climate change can be perceived as scientific, abstract, and off putting.
To get people to engage, it is key to meet them where they are, in spaces they spend time, with messengers they already trust.
HOPELESSNESS
Since much of climate messaging is doom and gloom, it is easy to get overwhelmed and fearful. This can lead to a feeling of paralysis and a lack of agency.
DISTANT FROM DAILY LIFE
In the hierarchy of needs, it can be hard to see how climate change connects to pressing issues like economic trouble, child care, and affordable housing.
Climate change is also often seen as a broad, global issue - not something that is directly connected to our lives and communities.
COMPLEXITY
Climate as an issue is inherently complex and hard to grapple with, and audiences are often under-equipped to engage with the topic.
The rise of misinformation and streams of competing information have muddled this understanding further.
UNCLEAR SOLUTIONS + IMPACT
The true solutions are often hidden behind the false guide of personal responsibility, which makes it hard for individuals to see how their actions can meaningfully contribute or make an impact.
NEW MEDIA ENVIRONMENT
There is a significant oversaturation of messaging and fragmentation IN how people consume media, making it difficult to break through the noise and engage our intended audiences.
Here’s our solution
COLLABORATE, COORDINATE, AND GROW
Everyone in the climate movement is working towards the same thing: climate action that meaningfully improves lives and protects our planet.
We all talk about it differently, so often our shared goals get lost in the noise and struggle to connect with key audiences, which impedes climate action.
Effective climate communication happens when we all walk and talk in the same direction, when the message meets the moment, and when we choose the right messengers for each audience and aspect of the movement.
Climate Commons serves as the home for this collaboration and alignment.
The ultimate goal is to bring more people into the climate movement, and have our messages reach broader and broader audiences. This is what will allow us to build the cultural and political power to take real climate action.
MEET THE MOMENT
The climate world and the environment are ever-changing landscapes, and that means the way we talk about it must adapt to meet the moment. In times when resources are more scarce, organizations and activists don’t have the flexibility to innovate and be iterative because they must focus on the immediate task at hand.
Climate Commons is the key partner for people doing this work, keeping a finger on the pulse of the dynamic environment and sharing ways that organizations can be iterative with their existing work and innovate to meet the moment.
RESEARCH & STRATEGY
There is a lot that we can learn from each other and from new approaches to research that can help us be more effective communicators, and ultimately shift the broader narrative around climate change.
The dynamics at play in climate work shift significantly over time, and it is more important than ever that we are able to take action quickly, and take action together.
Climate Commons leverages qualitative and quantitative data to support our messaging strategies, to assess and analyze our findings, and to create a shared research pipeline so that we can learn from each other’s learnings. It serves to bring a more strategic and intentional mindset to narrative change so that organizations can focus on doing the work.
This includes the commissioning of research studies to better help us understand the changing landscape, the fragmented media environment, and how to connect with different audiences on climate to inspire sustained action.
NEW MEDIA CONTEXT
Climate is one of the most pressing issues of our time and yet we find ourselves in a moment where most audiences are struggling to connect.
To overcome the change in how people consume media, as well as the fragmentation and over-saturation of digital spaces, we need to connect with audiences in new spaces and in new ways that connect the issue of climate change to their daily lives and existing interests.
In order to effectively connect with audiences on climate we have to:
Understand what messages will resonate with each specific audience
Quickly capture people’s attention so that they continue to engage
Create a narrative that adapts to the hyper-targeted environment
Develop and maintain opportunities for sustained engagement
Climate Commons helps organizations better understand how to break through the noise in this increasingly crowded media environment and make climate an accessible and meaningful issue across different audiences.