Building trusted relationships with businesses is vital to delivering local climate action. Local authorities know that their ability to influence area-wide emissions depends on strong partnerships with the businesses they serve, but engaging businesses in impactful and lasting ways isn’t always easy. Concerns such cost pressures, limited capacity, and competing priorities can get in the way of meaningful action.
Making Local Climate Action Possible is a practical toolkit designed to help local authorities build trust-based, purpose-led relationships with business stakeholders. Developed by Climate Outreach and The Connectives, the toolkit was co-designed with local government officers across the UK. It offers guidance, tools, and adaptable messaging strategies grounded in values-led engagement and the realities of local climate delivery.
At the heart of this toolkit are three core recommendations: demonstrate your purpose, demonstrate your empathy, and demonstrate your integrity. These principles are rooted in Climate Outreach’s research into trusted climate communicators, and they offer a foundation for relationship-building that goes beyond transaction. The result is a practical resource to support local authorities in fostering collaboration, deepening trust, and unlocking more impactful business engagement on climate.