How do you solve a problem like fear? 3 tips for communicating the climate crisis

For the past few decades, climate communications have primarily focused on convincing people that the threat is real, that climate change exists. 

To do this, experts, scientists and journalists have - understandably - often employed shock-and-awe tactics. Stories of flames, fire, death, of a planet hurtling headlong towards extinction – you get the picture.   

The good news? It worked. Polls show that the public now overwhelmingly accepts the reality of the climate crisis. Let’s take that as a win. 

The new climate denial

The bad news? We have a new challenge. Apathy. Hopelessness. Perhaps even resignation. What Wolfgang Blau, Co-Founder of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, has dubbed ‘the new climate denial’. 

Research by Reuters found that 38% of people say they often or sometimes avoid the news, with 36% of respondents citing the fact that it lowers their mood. Bombarded with doom and gloom, increasingly the public is retreating from the problem and closing their eyes. In the face of an existential threat so huge it eclipses all others, what, they ask, can we do? 

Hope springs eternal 

This is a problem for the climate movement generally. And it falls to those of us working in the world of climate communications to combat it. We need to talk about the climate crisis in a way that makes people listen. This is the first step to inspiring action. 

The Content Engine works with a wide range of businesses and organisations who are committed to communicating the climate crisis and - crucially - in mobilising the response. Below we look at some of the ways in which we approach content creation to get the clicks, likes, views and shares needed to spread their message.  

1. Be hopeful 

Inspiring hope in a scenario that can seem entirely hopeless is hard. But it is possible. 

Instead of focussing on worst-case scenarios and ‘what if?’ questions, effective climate communications should foreground the things that can be done and the victories we’re already witnessing. 

As many of us know, we don’t need miracles, we already have the tools and technology we need to address climate change. Content that showcases the great strides being made in solar technology or the immense potential of green hydrogen, for example, is not only scroll-stoppingly interesting, but solution-orientated and hopeful too. 

This is not a call to ignore the profound implications of climate change or dumb down how we talk about it, it is a call to engage with the problem in a different way. People know the situation is bad, but they may not know that there are answers out there. Opening these doors to your audience is a way to fill in these blanks and foster a community that’s eager to learn more. 

2. Be simple  

Numbers, statistics, data models, trend analyses - often referred to as ‘the science’ - is crucial. 

The truth is, however, that facts alone are not enough to grab our attention and stir us to action. Big numbers can be hard to fathom: a complex graph may be illuminating if you know what you’re looking at – but your audience might not. Breaking down and explaining this kind of information is key. In a poll of over 300 media leaders, 67% of respondents agreed that better explanation of complex stories is key to fighting back against news avoidance. This is especially true of climate topics. 

This might mean employing analogy or metaphor, or it could mean painting a picture of the on-the-ground reality the numbers and data speak to. 

3. Be a storyteller  

Key to this is telling a story. As humans, we’re hardwired to connect with storytelling; narratives light up the parts of our brain associated with emotions and empathy as we connect them with our own personal experiences. 

Purely analytical content may give us the facts, but it can be difficult to process and rarely does it instil in us the will to act. Embedding the facts within a narrative framework not only makes the information easier to understand, it allows us to connect with it on a human, emotional level. 

Doing this isn’t always easy. High-level statistics and global events - such as drought fuelling mass food insecurity in Africa - can seem very compelling. But by taking the time to tell the real-life, relatable stories of families and communities affected, we can help audiences to connect with the issue in a more powerful, tangible way. 

How do you solve a problem like fear?  

Be hopeful. Be simple. Be a storyteller. We know there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to communicating about the climate crisis, but our experience has shown that by keeping these three things in mind, any organisation can cut through the noise, the gloom, the fear, and make a meaningful impact.