At Heard we run a programme called Climate Stories That Work.
Effective communication – by that we mean that stuff that really engages people – around climate is vital. That’s because the stories we tell each other about climate change affects how people think, feel and act.
So we support others to tell those effective stories on climate – sometimes they’re media outlets, production teams and content platforms. Other times they’re individuals or groups with an audience or following.
Our work is based in storytelling and communication proven to resonate with people. It catalyses big picture, can-do thinking, instead of guilt, shame and apathy.
It’s exciting work, and we’re deep in it every day. As we do that work, we often create resources with the intention of them being useful to others.
So, here’s a bit more about our guides:
1. Six ways to change hearts and minds about climate change
Where to start? It’s daunting. We get it.
Hopefully this framing guide will help. We’ve distilled what we know about effective climate communication into six key principles. So whether you’re writing a documentary script or a campaign press release, think of these tips as signposts to guide you.
Here’s an example:
“Focus on the big things and how we can change them. Instead of getting locked in circular debates about whether people are making the right choices in their own lives, we need to pan out to look at the big picture.”
When applied they create stories that have the potential to shift how people think and feel. They can make important actions feel right, normal and inevitable.
The effect? We can transform growing awareness into widespread desire for change. We can drive and normalise action.
Our hope – and what we’ve seen happen before – is that the recommendations in this guide can be taken out into the communication and content world and brought to life in engaging and creative ways.
