How to frame a more hopeful story about climate change at COP30

Getting the story right is crucial to help build understanding of the role of COP, why it matters and how people feel about climate and nature right now. The story you tell can also remind people of the progress the UK is already making to address climate change and how we can build on this progress in the coming years.

Whether you’re reporting from Belém or back home, here are some key messages, framing and stories to help you tell a compelling story during COP30. We also have a brand new collection of Climate Visuals photos highlighting the causes and impacts of black carbon in Brazil; a stark reminder on the doorstep of the climate negotiations.

We need this COP to chart a clear path: to cleaner air, cheaper, more secure energy and warmer homes.

People back these policies. But we need Governments to help chart the course.

Net zero sectors are growing three times faster than the overall UK economy, and costs are falling. New technologies are helping make the green transition faster and cheaper every day. We have a huge opportunity to keep investing in this technology to create new jobs and be at the forefront of the clean energy economy.

Here are three suggested ways to frame discussions at and about COP, based on latest insights. Wherever possible, add to these insights with personal stories: either your own story, or some of the case studies outlined below. 

1. There is unstoppable momentum towards renewable energy and a low carbon society. COP30 can ensure we all reap the benefits

People are generally unaware of the progress we have made in decarbonising our energy system and moving away from fossil fuels. When you tell people about this, they feel surprised, pleased and proud. 

• We are in the race to clean energy. Earlier this month, renewables overtook coal as the world’s biggest source of electricity. In the UK, we are already generating over half of our electricity from renewable sources and they powered our country for a record 87 hours in 2025 so far, much higher than previous years.  
• Talk about the economic benefits of the transition – the clean energy economy grew three times faster compared to the whole economy in the past year and now supports nearly one million jobs. 
• Creating jobs: Good jobs in green sectors are the jobs of the future. The energy transition is creating good jobs that people can stay in their hometown to do, in industries that make them proud. These include jobs to make homes more energy efficient, heat pump installers, wind turbine technicians. They also include people working in research and development, innovation and creating new local carbon businesses like repair cafes. More and more of these jobs are created every day. 

You should also highlight that the UK public are on your side when it comes to tackling climate change and investing in renewables.  Some statistics you might use to demonstrate this:

• 74% of people care about climate change and only 4% of people don’t care because they think climate change isn’t real. Climate denialism is not on the rise.
• 64% are proud of renewable energy including wind and solar. Only 11% of people don’t like seeing solar panels on roofs.
• 56% of people think positively about climate leadership, that it is important for leaders to deliver on their promises even if they are difficult, compared to only 11% who see this as weak.

2. COP is charting a better future for our children, and a cleaner, fairer society for us all 

You need to paint the picture of what kind of society we want children born now to be growing up in over the next two decades. Part of the reason there is declining support for ‘net zero policies’ despite high levels of concern about climate change is the failure to articulate the kind of society we are trying to build and how tackling climate change helps us do this. 

Talk about the benefits people can enjoy when we tackle climate change: cheaper bills, cleaner air, flourishing nature, good jobs. Talk about how this plan helps make our neighbourhoods better. 

3. A successful COP can help protect our cherished natural environments and wildlife

Britain is a nation of nature lovers. British people are overwhelmingly proud of our efforts to restore nature, 79% are proud of tree planting schemes and 78% are proud of our National Parks and want to see them protected. The impact of climate change on nature and wildlife is the top reason people are worried about climate change.

Talk about the role of nature in tackling climate change. The Climate Change Committee has identified tree planting and peatland restoration as particular successes over the last year – tree planting was at its highest rate in two decades in the last year, and important carbon sinks like peatlands are being restored at high rates. This is not only good for the environment but also important for job creation, so emphasise this double win.

Talk about local examples where you know where nature is being protected or restored. Link these to actions you know about in other nations, especially Brazil. 

Person-centred storytelling is a powerful way of showing the progress that is being made. The Local Storytelling Exchange is host to a network of over 50 journalists, who actively seek out stories about the green transition. They hold a bank of over 700 stories about everyday people taking action on climate. 

We’ve picked out two of their stories below:

Finbarr Lucas from Sheffield, a furniture maker claims to have halved his transport costs by switching to an electric van and charging at home. He said charging was cheaper than fuel and he also found wear and tear was lower, due to fewer moving engine parts. He also doesn’t pay for the Clean Air Zone. Customers like it too. He said: “I recently called some of my old customers to find out how they felt about commissioning me, and the fact that I try to work sustainably came very high in their positive feedback – the van is a visible example they pick up on of me trying to do that as a business.”

Alexander from Shropshire is a farmer now into its second harvest of regenerative farming. He has had solar installed as part of the business’s modernisation of its farm centre, and a sheep flock brought in to graze cover crops as a sustainable alternative to spraying. His next mission is to recreate local wetlands for biodiversity net gain.

Talk about local examples where you know where nature is being protected or restored. Link these to actions you know about in other nations, especially Brazil. 

1. “This COP will ensure we will reach our net-zero targets”

‘Net-zero’ has become highly politicised. In our latest Britain Talks Climate and Nature research, Climate Outreach tested support for a hypothetical council’s net zero target, with support at 50%. But when the target was adapted to explain the benefits such as boosting jobs and creating a safer environment for future generations, support increased to 64%. Better to explain the future we are building than simply say we are trying to ‘get to net zero’.

2. “This plan allows us to grow our economy in a sustainable way”

‘Growth’ is quite an intangible concept that does not mean much to most people. If speaking about the economic benefit, it is better to talk about how tackling climate change will make energy bills cheaper, boost jobs in new technologies including the renewable energy, electric vehicles and heat pump and insulation industries.

3. “The Government is taking radical action to wean ourselves off oil and gas as quickly as possible”

People have a nuanced relationship to the fossil fuel industry. In former coal mining communities in South Wales and in northern Scotland where many jobs are still linked to North sea oil and gas, some people associate these industries with a sense of community and there is a nostalgia for this. Rather than trashing these industries or the past, emphasise the pride we can have in renewable energy, the good jobs created and British leadership in new technologies in the transition.

Take a look at more resources and insights to aid your comms during COP30, across our latest research and Climate Visuals photo collections. If you have any questions or are interested in tailoring our recommendations to your audience, please get in touch. 

If you are interested in illustrating what is happening on the ground in the UK, the Local Storytelling Exchange can help you find the stories you need. If you’re interested in using further case studies to help bring your work to life, contact Jodie Bond at jodie.bond@localstoryexchange.org.