Communicating Climate Change

This episode features a conversation with environmental psychologist, Sophia Dasch. It was recorded in February 2026.Sophia works at the intersection of psychology, policy, and climate action. She’s an expert on the psychology of social movements, and of climate action more broadly.I discovered Sophia through her co-authored book “The Psychology of Collective Climate Action” which she describes as a passion project of the non-profit organization, Wandelwerk.The members of Wandelwerk – which roughly translates as "change collective" – are psychologists by training, grounded in scientific research, and at the same time they’re active participants in the climate movement. Their collective mission is to bridge these worlds by translating psychological insights into practical tools for climate action.They do this through workshops, educational programs, public engagement, and their own research – as well as publications like the book “The Psychology of Collective Climate Action,” which is freely available as an open-access resource. And, for me, is one of the most important reads of recent years. Alongside Wandelwerk, Sophia works as a policy consultant at the research institute ConPolicy, where she brings her expertise to topics such as Action for Climate Empowerment (or ACE), risk communication, and digitalization.Amongst other things, Sophia and I discussed the psychology of movement building, the three non-negotiables for collective climate action, and the many ways communicators can contribute to putting them in place. This one instantly slides into my top 10 biggest impact episodes. So, get your notepads ready!Additional linksGet the book The Psychology of Collective Climate ActionVisit the Wandelwerk website

This episode features a conversation with award-winning investigative climate journalist, Amy Westervelt. It was recorded in June 2025.Amy has been on the climate beat for more than 20 years, reporting for a wide range of outlets including Inside Climate News, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Nation, The Intercept, NPR, and many more. In the past 10 years, Amy has worked extensively in the audio realm, most notably with Drilled, a true crime podcast about climate denial.What was planned to be a single limited-run audio series was an absolute hit, and has now grown into an ongoing investigative reporting project digging into the various forces obstructing action on climate.Despite her successes in audio though, Amy continues to write regularly for a wide range of publications. In 2023 she was named one of Covering Climate Now’s Journalist of the Year and her work has previously received Murrow, ONA, SEJ, Rachel Carson, and Folio awards, as well as a Peabody nomination.Amongst other things, Amy and I discussed the structural influence the fossil fuel industry has carefully crafted over our information ecosystem; the magic that narrative injects into climate journalism; and the need for more of us to don our tin-foil hats a bit more often, because things are frequently way wackier than we’d maybe like to believe.Additional linksDrilled: https://drilled.media/Amy’s 5 petroganda narratives: https://drilled.media/news/petroganda-narrativesBen Franta’s paper on weaponising economics: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2021.1947636The Media Matters bubble graph: https://www.mediamatters.org/google/right-dominates-online-media-ecosystem-seeping-sports-comedy-and-other-supposedlyThe Black Thread: https://communicatingclimatechange.com/the-black-thread

This episode features a conversation with Diya Deb, executive director of Mindworks. It was recorded in April 2025.Growing up as an activist in India, Diya has in-depth experience of working in harsh political and social realities. With a variety of leadership roles under her belt from Amnesty and Greenpeace India, and a background in campaigning and program management too, she holds a deep belief in the need to decolonise knowledge and drive systemic change in Global Majority countries. At the helm of Mindworks, Diya works to apply cognitive and social science insights to support organisations and changemakers, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America, to campaign innovatively to address climate and other systemic issues.Amongst other things, Diya and I discussed the ways that mindsets in places like India and Indonesia demand new strategies and emphasis from climate communicators, the fresh ways that denial emerges in such contexts, and the desperate need for more listening in developing interventions and engagement that resonates.Additional links: Visit the Mindworks websiteDig in to the Anger & Agency MonitorCheck out the Time to Talk insights and toolkit

This episode features a conversation with Ingmar Rentzhog, founder and CEO of We Don’t Have Time, the world’s largest media platform dedicated to climate action. It was recorded in March 2025.Ingmar is a serial entrepreneur in finance and communication, as well as a climate changemaker who’s been recognized internationally for his impact. He’s a European Climate Pact Ambassador and a member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, and through his work at We Don't Have Time, he’s mobilising millions to hold businesses, leaders, and governments accountable and drive genuine progress. With a mission to democratize knowledge about climate solutions and mobilize global action toward a prosperous and fossil-free future, We Don’t Have Time boasts a community of more than 120,000 climate professionals and influencers spanning 180 countries, as well as partnerships with more than 450 companies, governments, and civil society organizations. We Don’t Have Time reaches 200 million people each month on social media!Amongst other things, Ingmar and I discussed the ways that technological infrastructures like media platforms and social networks can support grassroots action, the importance of both sticks and carrots in engaging companies, governments, and other actors on climate issues, and how understanding financial flows can help us propel our much needed societal transformation forward.Additional links: Check out We Don’t Have Time and join the community!Find out more about the Make Science Great Again campaign

This episode features a conversation with film director, Joshua Oppenheimer. It was recorded in March 2025.Joshua gained notoriety through his documentaries The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, which, amongst their many accolades, gained him Academy Award and BAFTA nominations. In fact, back in 2012, it was his extraordinarily beautiful and bizarre film, The Act of Killing, which follows former Indonesian death-squad leaders in reenacting their mass-killings through cinematic set pieces and lavish musical numbers, that put Joshua on my radar. The Guardian called it “The most compelling thing you’ll ever see.” I tend to agree. His latest film, entitled The End, hit cinemas in the UK and Germany last week.The End stars Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, and George MacKay, as a wealthy family living isolated lives in a luxurious bunker, two decades after an environmental catastrophe renders Earth's surface uninhabitable. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill, seen-it-before disaster take, The End is a genre-bending tale that urges us to reconsider the illusions we hold about the fate of our planet and, perhaps crucially, our role in shaping that fate. Amongst other things, Joshua and I discussed The End, why we often find living in lies a more comforting situation than facing reality, and the need to challenge the silence and the self-deception that is all around us when it comes to climate.Additional links: The End is out now in Germany and the UK. Get tickets to cinemas near you here. Find out where to stream The End in your location by going here. Watch the trailer for The End.Get a sense of Joshua’s inspiration from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.Check out the trailers for The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence.Here’s the panel discussion I mentioned, discussing silence around fossil fuels in Norway.Creatives for Climate is the largest and most diverse network of change-agents using creativity to drive climate action.Read George Lakoff’s book, Don’t Think of An Elephant.

This episode features a conversation with Natalia Vega-Tracy, founder of centralised communications hub, New Zero World, and multi-sector coalition, EPIC, the Earth Public Information Collaborative. It was recorded in July 2024.Natalia is a leader in global advocacy and social impact, with more than 25 years of experience leading campaigns and content designed to influence culture and drive positive change in the world. She’s been the driving force behind collaborations with international partners across all sectors, from progressive brands and corporations to humanitarian non-profits and both governmental and intergovernmental organizations, where her work has earned nominations and awards from many of the most renowned international festivals in the advertising world.Natalia has been widely recognized for her work creating innovative strategies, campaigns, films and experiential events in support of the United Nations, and was named one of the “Top 10 most influential media and communications executives" for her work supporting the Sustainable Development Goals.In 2022, she founded New Zero World to shift public opinion and promote behavioural change by building new climate narratives and positively reimagining our visions of the future. New Zero World’s flagship report entitled, “A New Era In Climate Communications” gathers world-leading research and insights from the best minds in science communications, creativity, and cultural influence. The resource is a must-read for anyone working in and around climate communication, with chapters dedicated to practically every facet of the craft. In 2024, together with the Global Commons Alliance, New Zero World launched EPIC, the Earth Public Information Collaborative, with the vision to bring together businesses, media platforms, ad agencies, creators, philanthropy and, of course, science, to reposition climate change across every community on earth.Acting as a campaign in itself, the process is designed to not only engage agencies, industry and media, but also the public. It’s described as a campaign for all of us, involving all of us – taking a whole earth approach.Amongst other things, Natalia and I discussed the power of using creativity for good, the need to fill an imagination gap about the future we’re heading towards, and how the sausage is made when it comes to large, multi-stakeholder coalitions.Additional links: Check out whitepaper, A New Era in Climate CommunicationsVisit the New Zero World websiteExplore the Earth Public Information Collaborative websiteHoward Bloom’s book, Global BrainWatch the trailer for the film, 2040

This time, instead of chatting to a special guest, listeners just like you are joining the conversation. It’s a Call-In Show!Over the last couple of months, all kinds of voice messages have been submitted by listeners to act as a springboard for brainstorming, problem solving, and broader discussion around a range of climate communication challenges, observations, and questions. Through the course of this episode, we’ll dig into a number of them, exploring themes like framing, psychological distance, climate deadlines, and some fundamentals of climate communications, across formats ranging from social media posts to speeches, and more.But we won’t just be pointing out flaws and failures. This is a show about solutions. So, I’ll be looking to a kaleidoscope of disciplines and perspectives, as well as the wisdom of previous Communicating Climate Change podcast guests, to find a path forward in each case.If you want to leave a voice message of your own, whether to respond to a topic discussed in this episode or to raise a new one for consideration for the next call-in show, just head over to the Call-In Show page. It couldn’t be easier to get involved!Guidance on submitting to the Call-In Show:Step 1: Go to the Call-In Show page.Step 2: Hit the “Start Recording” button.Step 3: Describe your challenge, example, or observation.Step 4: Hit the “Stop” button when you’re done.Step 5: Enter your name and email if you want (it’s optional) and hit “Send”. Step 6: Tune in to the Call-In Show to see if your message gets featured!I can’t wait hear from you!Additional linksCommunicating Climate Change With Funmibi OgunlesiCommunicating Climate Change With Josh GarrettCommunicating Climate Change With Kevin GreenBohn and Rogge paper “The Framing of Green Innovations”Tesla Cybertruck beats Porsche 911 while towing a 911Adam Corner on how to reach people beyond the green bubbleFull transcript of Simon Stiell’s speech at Chatham HouseMy attempt at rewriting Simon Stiell’s speechHere’s some recent research about doomerism and shareablity Here’s the link to the Mike Hulme piece on deadline-ismLink to the original Climate Crisis Advisory Group post on LinkedIn

This episode features a conversation with Sam Narr, Founder and CEO of Kibbo Kift Agency, a specialist PR and performance marketing agency exclusively promoting climate solutions and social justice initiatives. Heavily influenced by his third-generation immigrant background, working-class roots, and an education in radical social movements and pop culture, Sam’s motivation to work in environmentalism stems from an ambition to rebalance society's social and racial inequities.Over the last five years, Kibbo Kift Agency has worked with 60+ clients including climate activists, corporate pressure groups, innovative tech start-ups, responsible fashion brands, global climate organisations, and more.Kibbo Kift's projects have included a national campaign with Greenpeace UK, a national campaign to pressure MPs to support the only proposed legislation that ensures a joined-up approach to tackling the dual climate and nature crises, as well as ongoing media management of advertising and PR pressure group Clean Creatives, and global press office management for the world's largest digital clock, The Climate Clock, which counts down the time left until humanity passes the 1.5C threshold.Amongst other things, Sam and I discussed the rightwards political shift happening across the UK, Europe, and the United States, where this issue gets tangled up with climate, and what can be learned from the campaigns that brought us Brexit and Trump.Additional links: Visit the Kibbo Kift Agency websiteCheck out the Climate and Nature Bill campaignExplore Britain Talks Climate from Climate OutreachDing dong, it’s The Climate ClockDig in to the Communicating Climate Change E-Learning Course on the Creatives for Climate Community HubSee The Brexit BusRead about the Stop the Boats campaignReclaiming Englishness with Caroline LucasCommunicating Climate Change Call-In Show #1

This episode features a conversation with Alexei Ovchinnikov, Editor-in-Chief of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group. It was recorded in person, in Tbilisi, Georgia, in August, 2024, at the n-ost conference for climate journalism. It is one of four episodes dedicated to issues complicating climate communication in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region. Alexei is a Belarusian environmental activist, journalist, researcher, and member of Green Network, an environmental organization in exile. He was an author and co-editor of independent Belarusian environmental media outlet, Green Belarus, as well as an author and co-editor of Ukrainian regional environmental protection platform, Eco.Rayon.In September 2021, he left Belarus for political reasons, first living in Ukraine and now in Georgia. At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Alexei started to analyze and report on the environmental consequences of the conflict. Today, he continues his environmental activities in exile, organizing local environmental meetings and workshops, and advocating for international recognition of ecocide. Amongst other things, Alexei and I discussed climate propaganda, the need to perform due diligence when reporting on the environmental impacts of war, and the surprising solutions stories coming out of Ukraine. Additional links: Check out the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group websiteRead about the Kahovka dam incidentLearn about the impacts of the war on forestsAlexei’s profile on the n-ost websiteVisit the Razom We Stand websiteCheck out Ecoaction.ua

This episode features a conversation with Iryna Ponedelnik, Climate Project Manager at n-ost, a network for journalists reporting on Eastern Europe. It was recorded in person, in Tbilisi, Georgia, in August, 2024.Iryna is a science communicator who manages projects in the field of climate change, youth engagement, and the sustainable development goals. As well as her work at n-ost, Iryna is a representative of Green Network, a partnership of environmental organizations, activists, initiatives, and experts united for the development of the green movement in Belarus. She’s a board member of the Climate Action Network for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, has acted as an observer at COP and SB negotiations, and was awarded a green ticket for the UN Youth Climate Conference in 2019. Iryna and I met back in June of this year, during the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, where I was delivering some climate communications training alongside folks from UNU-EHS and UNFCCC. Iryna was quick to question the relevance of some approaches for contexts where, for example, freedom of speech was limited. Following further discussion, Iryna invited me to attend n-ost’s conference on climate journalism in Tbilisi, Georgia, to hear the experiences of those reporting on climate despite a range of challenges, including censorship, authoritarianism, and full-scale war.Amongst other things, Iryna and I discussed the lack of visibility the region has on the international stage, the surreality of being labeled an extremist, and the need to live in exile in order to talk about climate change.Additional links: Check out the Climate Action Network Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central AsiaFind out more about the n-ost network for cross-border journalismRead about and support Green Network

This time, instead of chatting to a special guest, listeners just like you are joining the conversation. It’s a Call-In Show!Over the last couple of months, all kinds of voice messages have been submitted by listeners to act as a springboard for brainstorming, problem solving, and broader discussion around a range of climate communication challenges, observations, and questions. Through the course of this episode, we’ll dig into a number of them, exploring themes like greenwashing, backfire effects, and some other fundamentals of the craft. But we won’t just be pointing out flaws and failures. This is a show about solutions. So, I’ll be looking to a kaleidoscope of disciplines and perspectives, as well as the wisdom of previous Communicating Climate Change podcast guests, to find a path forward in each case.If you want to leave a voice message of your own, whether to respond to a topic discussed in this episode or to raise a new one for consideration for the next call-in show, just head over to the Call-In Show page. It couldn’t be easier to get involved!Guidance on submitting to the Call-In Show:Step 1: Go to the Call-In Show page.Step 2: Hit the “Start Recording” button.Step 3: Describe your challenge, example, or observation.Step 4: Hit the “Stop” button when you’re done.Step 5: Enter your name and email if you want (it’s optional) and hit “Send”. Step 6: Tune in to the Call-In Show to see if your message gets featured!I can’t wait hear from you!Additional linksSee Ellie’s original post about the restaurant hereRead the original magazine article here (note that this has now been updated and no longer features the steak restaurant being discussed)Check out the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency documentation for the Alpro and BrewDog casesExplore the Creatives for Climate Greenwash Watch TrainingListen to Communicating Climate Change With Alexandra Borchardt exploring climate journalism that worksListen to Communicating Climate Change With Jennie King digging into climate mis- and disinformationListen to Communicating Climate Change With Harriet Kingaby on all things greenwashingHere’s the Guardian article raised in Joseph’s callDiscover my foundational course in climate change communication on the Creatives for Climate community hubListen to Communicating Climate Change With John Marshall about climate messaging that worksListen to Communicating Climate Change With Thomas Coombes about hope-based communicationsListen to Communicating Climate Change With Florencia Lujani about engaging the persuadablesListen to Communicating Climate Change With Funmibi Ogunlesi about communication framingRead the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication article about pro-climate votersListen to Communicating Climate Change With Kevin Green about behaviour changeListen to Communicating Climate Change With Marcos Pelenur about what we can learn from behavioural insights

This episode features a conversation with Brooklyn-based climate communicator, creator, and independent reporter, Jacob Simon. It was recorded in August 2024.As the mind behind Jacobsimonsays, a platform telling real stories of progress to replace dread and fear with hope and action, Jacob inspires his audience of well over half a million people across social media and his newsletter, Climativity, to overcome eco-anxiety and get involved with tackling the climate crisis through optimism, community, and action.Jacobsimonsays has racked up more than 83 million views, over 11 million likes, and maintains a following of more than 700,000 individuals who tune in every day to hear stories about those tackling the climate crisis and learn about simple and impactful actions they can take to protect the environment.Amongst other things, Jacob and I discussed the trials and tribulations of being a social media influencer, where to draw your line in the sand when it comes to collaborations, and the kinds of content that performs best on climate and environmental topics.Additional links: Follow Jacobsimonsays on TikTokFollow Jacobsimonsays on InstagramVisit the Jacobsimonsays websiteCheck out Jacob’s Climativity newsletterRead Social tipping dynamics for stabilizing Earth’s climate by 2050

This episode features a conversation with film producer, Adam Stanhope. It was recorded in July 2024.Alongside the likes of Mike Medavoy, Rodrigo Blaas, Keith Chapman, and executive producer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam produced the animated feature film, Ozi – Voice of the Forest, which hits theatres across the globe on August 16th. With a background in marketing and media, Adam has helped finance and produce an array of programmes across a range of genres, including Sky Atlantic’s Grierson-nominated sports documentary, The Fall, BBC Worldwide’s Earth, and Channel 4’s Ministry at the Dome.Adam’s media career started in the 1980s, selling airtime for British TV network, ITV, before working his way up the ranks to Director at hugely successful UK Advertising agency Still Price Court Twivy d’Souza. After leading one of IPG’s Global Media Agencies, Initiative Media, working with clients like Unilever, Johnson and Johnson, Coca Cola and Virgin Atlantic, Adam co-founded GCI Film to produce and finance movies.Adam’s passions are film and the environment, and the Voices franchise, of which Ozi – Voice of the Forest is the first instalment, seeks to raise climate change awareness for a new generation.Amongst other things, Adam and I discussed the power of animation to act as a vehicle for climate literacy, the challenges that large productions can run into as they prepare to launch, and what superstars, like DiCaprio, can bring to such projects. Additional links: Visit the official website for Ozi – Voice of the ForestWatch the trailer for Ozi - Voice of the ForestFind out more about Orangutan CoffeeExplore International Animal Rescue’s Orangutan ProjectCheck out the Oscar-winning short film, The Silent Child