We need a new approach in climate communication. This is obvious from two key observations in the climate debate today.

On one hand, there is overwhelming global support for more and faster climate action. According to an international survey published by Nature Climate Change, 90 per cent of all people are in favor of such measures – even though public and political discourse doesn’t always reflect this.

On the other hand, there is growing concern about setbacks in climate policy, especially in light of the electoral successes of climate-skeptic, populist, and far-right parties in Germany, Austria, and elsewhere in Europe.

The prominence of climate issues only five years ago, which was shaped by the spread of the Fridays for Future movement, has since been overshadowed by other topics. According to a Friedrich Ebert Foundation survey from earlier this year, climate change today is only ranked fourth among the most pressing issues for citizens across the world.

The top concern in 2024: Poverty, not climate change
In 2024, people are above all concerned with social issues: How expensive will energy be? How high will inflation rise? Is my pension secure? What can I still afford? Fear of poverty is people’s biggest worry, according to the Eurobarometer survey from April this year.

Unfortunately, social concerns of this kind have been sidelined in climate policy discussions for a long time. And even today, the climate debate continues to be dominated by urban, academic voices — i. e. typically people with more economic security. Climate debates have also remained technology- rather than people-centered.

The socio-political seduction of anti-climate and anti-democracy actors
In recent years, the social anxiety of (perceivedly) disadvantaged communities has been leveraged by opponents of climate policy.  Anti-climate and populist – i.  e. ultimately anti-democratic – positions have converged into a troubling alliance, which is increasingly using socio-political narratives to cement their appeal. 

A discourse analysis conducted by Talking Hope on political communication around the German government’s proposed heating bill in 2023 highlighted these trends. The slogan by the far-right AfD “Habeck takes from the poor and gives to the rich” was not even an isolated example; similar rhetoric was also used echoed by the liberal party FDP and the conservative CDU, and media outlets from the conservative Springer media company followed suit in a concerted campaign against the proposed bill.

Times of upheaval and social transformation are unsettling. This has always been the case, whether during the Reformation, at the time of industrialization or in today’s transition to a sustainable economy. Furthermore, the shift to sustainability also affects people in all areas of their lives. And yes, it also costs money – even though renewable energy will eventually lead to savings.

It’s social justice, stupid!
It’s time we took social concerns far more seriously in our climate communication, and it’s time we went beyond simply framing them as incentives to drive action. Expediency along the lines of ‘How much carrot do I have to give the donkey to make it move?’ will not do.

The price gap between a can of diced tomatoes and one of whole tomatoes—just five cents at the discount store—can be significant for people struggling to make ends meet. Indeed, I remember when it was for me.

Winning support for climate measures from people living paycheck to paycheck requires more than just talking about the benefits of climate action and the – of course necessary – compensatory social policies. It requires truly listening, truly learning about their daily lives, and genuinely engaging with them respectfully and on equal footing.

The Talking Hope Framework: Climate communication as a social process
As paradoxical as it may sound: Perhaps we should even talk less about climate in our climate conversations – so that we can then talk better about it. 

It is more effective to let go of our – ultimately self-referential – fixation on our own climate agenda and first truly engage with our target audiences. Only then can we approach them with genuine empathy. And only then can we discover and shape potential climate solutions through the eyes of those affected and those we want to convince.

What this demands, above all, is trust in an open process—something that is difficult for us to embrace, given the urgency of climate action and our activist motivation to advance it. Ultimately, however, it will move us further. Talking Hope has developed a Framework for Socially Inclusive Climate Communication©, which aims to contribute to bridging social divides on climate. It was introduced at a workshop during the K3 Climate Communication Congress in Graz at the end of September, along with a role-playing game designed to foster mutual understanding.

The approach: Socially aware and aimed at participation
The task: participants assumed the roles of evidence-based personas: There was Evelyn, a single mother with a low-paying part-time job; Johannes, a worker with a tight budget and high commuting costs; or Veronika, a 79-year-old widow trying to make ends meet in a poorly insulated rural home with just €1,000 in pension income.

“For the first time, I really felt and sensed what a constant struggle every day is for this woman”, one participant responded afterwards. Another remarked, “No wonder climate policy, or politics in general, feels so distant in this situation.”

For climate communication to resonate more broadly across society, it must be socially aware. It must place the need for listening and participation at its core, and merge the goals of sustainability, social justice, and democratic participation.

Achieving greater social acceptance for climate action will require more social inclusion—starting with how we communicate about climate issues.

Climate protection offers a chance for a new social contract
If we succeed, we won’t just improve our prospects for achieving the ecological transition. The transformation driven by the need for sustainable living conditions presents an even greater opportunity: It offers the possibility of a new social contract – one that promotes greater social justice and active democratic citizenship A socially inclusive approach to climate communication can help make this a reality.