How to talk about the climate crisis

All aspects of tackling the climate crisis require communication, including raising awareness, exposing underlying issues, promoting meaningful solutions and sharing visions of a better society.

It’s therefore important to learn how to communicate effectively and in ways that can inform and inspire adequate climate action. Whether in personal conversations or public debates, the way we communicate about climate can make a big difference.

In this step we’ll explore effective climate communication and learn techniques that can help you connect with others on this critical issue. The video shows climate scientist Dr Adam Levy and communication expert Adam Corner discussing some examples of common climate conversations, highlighting both helpful approaches and potential pitfalls.

How we communicate matters

Many of us want to share what we know and inspire others. But effective communication goes beyond sharing facts; it’s about making connections, listening, building on shared values. Without a genuine attempt at connection and empathy it can be very hard to get your message across to anyone.

The role of signalling or ‘walking the talk’

One powerful aspect of climate communication is signalling – demonstrating through your own actions that you are committed to the values and practices you advocate for. This is also known as ‘walking the talk’ and it can make your message feel more authentic, relatable and convincing. It’s less likely that someone will take you seriously when talking about the need for personal or systemic action if they know you fly five times a year and drive a large SUV for example.

However, someone who is taking action themselves, whether by shifting their work to a more climate-friendly activity or refusing to take flights, is walking the talk and signalling their commitment to climate action. Actions like these can inspire others, showing that change is both possible and meaningful. Remember, people are often inspired by what they see others do; your actions can be as influential as your words.

Other tips for effective climate conversations

Here are a few additional tips to consider as you continue exploring how to talk about the climate crisis:

Find common ground: Establishing a shared goal or value, like wanting a safe future for children, can open up more receptive conversations.

Practice active listening: Show you’re genuinely interested in their views and respond thoughtfully. People are more likely to be open if they feel heard.

Be patient and encouraging: While the climate crisis is an emergency, not everyone will be prepared to treat it like that. But even small shifts in perspective can be valuable steps toward broader understanding and action. It’s important to support any step in the right direction, while also encouraging people to take the next, bigger step.

Let go of the need to be right: It’s important to avoid making people feel like you’re telling them what to do, or that you’re right and they’re wrong. It’s better to focus on engaging with people, inspiring them, and planting new ideas, rather than on ‘winning’ the conversation. Climate discussions can evoke fear or defensiveness, so it’s okay if your points don’t fully resonate right away – change often happens gradually.

Have your say

Thinking about conversations you’ve had about the climate crisis, consider your responses to the following questions:

• Did you notice any of these communication techniques in action?
• Have you encountered situations where conversations became challenging?
• What approaches worked well, and what might you do differently in the future?

Share and discuss your responses with other learners in the Comments section.