COP26 and civil society: engaging beyond the ‘green bubble’

The guide recommends: 

• Embracing the trust that civil society organisations have amongst a breadth of the UK public ahead of COP26. Environmental charities are more trusted than many other communicators – not least politicians, particularly among some segments of the public such as Loyal Nationals, who tend to be cynical about political motivations.

• Explaining why COP matters. Few Britons had even heard of COP26 at the time of this research (May-July 2021), never mind grasping its importance. Positively, when focus group participants learned about it many were instinctively supportive, albeit incredulous that the government hasn’t done more to tell them about it. Awareness will inevitably rise over the coming days – not least for fans of Eastenders or Coronation Street. But communicators should always take the time to spell out why the COP matters, in everyday language. 

• Talking about nature and global cooperation. People understand conversations about the climate talks differently to domestic climate policy and politics, meaning that some people perceive language around green jobs and investment as counter to that ethos of participation; Civic Pragmatists in particular. In contrast, explaining why COP26 can address damage to the natural world and inspiring people about nations coming together for the common good, resonates well in this context. Nature framing in particular increases all segments’ support for COP26 itself but also makes people feel connected to the issue, and more likely to consider taking actions both personal (like eating less meat) and political in response. See examples in our guide of effective language used in practice.

One question we have heard from campaigners is how best to bring people into narratives about nature. Globally, indigenous communities have played a central role in conserving nature, and in living in a way that is in harmony and in balance with it. Our underlying COP26 research also found support for narratives that explore the connection of and interdependence with people and nature, endorsing our work last year that suggested Covid-19 has given people an increased appreciation for the impact the natural environment has on us (and vice versa). But there is more work to do here and we would love to hear people’s thoughts. 

The Climate Engagement Lab is designed to help test what works for campaigners and advocates in practice, and to learn together with them about what other support and insight is needed to reach new audiences and deepen public engagement. Please get in touch with Climate Outreach or use the comment box below to share reactions to any of the above, and of course to let us know what happens in practice if you have tested our campaigning recommendations. For updates about the Climate Engagement Lab, sign up here.