Shaping climate narratives is both an art and a science. The goal is not merely to convey information but to foster trust, inspire action, and create lasting change. To achieve this, we must address multiple facets of climate narratives - including framing, storytelling, inclusivity, and diversifying our engagement and communication pathways. 

This article combines insights from academic research and real-world examples to outline eight actionable strategies for building a compelling climate narrative around policies and actions.

Foreword: Beyond Narrative - Building Trust and Participation in Climate Action 

Civil servants frequently request guidance on climate narratives, but discussions often reveal that their needs extend beyond narratives.

For example, a city might face challenges such as conflicts that arise during events focused on climate action or policies. While these issues involve communication and narrative-building, they also require thoughtful workshop design and skilled facilitation. This includes: Designing workshops and sessions where diverging views are embraced as assets rather than challenges and involving stakeholders early, ensuring all groups feel heard and welcome before the event.

Similarly, city requests often center on the desire to foster a more positive long-term attitude toward climate measures. Also this challenge extends beyond narrative-building and communication - delving into participation and community building. At its core, the aim is to create legitimate, trusted decisions that ultimately build up public support.

Please see our resources on citizens and urban stakeholders to explore more about these topics.

8 Tips for Shaping Climate Narratives

1. Explain the Benefits of Climate Policies

When discussing climate policies, emphasise their benefits rather than sacrifices. Avoid framing actions as restrictions; instead highlight their practical or everyday advantages - both immediate and long-term. Research consistently shows that "sacrifice framing" deters action, while focusing on co-benefits resonates more deeply with audiences. These co-benefits might include cost savings, improved health, a higher quality of life, and tangible social or financial gains. It is important that they also address economic concerns, such as the cost of living crisis, by acknowledging people’s realities. 

For example, sustainable transport not only reduces emissions but improves quality of life by reducing noise, accidents, and urban hazards while promoting health and social equality. The benefits of reducing private car use in cities are wide-ranging and need to be clearly explained. Pedestrianized retail areas can also spur economic activity, increasing footfall by 20-40% and turnover by 10-25%.

Examples

• In Copenhagen 150,000 people cycle each day, representing a modal share of 36% of all trips. But even in bike-friendly cities like Copenhagen, where cycling usage is among the highest in the world, only 16% of cyclists say they do so for environmental reasons. The majority cycle for convenience, speed, or health. This underscores the importance of offering climate-friendly infrastructure that improves everyday life and communicating these benefits effectively.
• Gehl Architects an Greenpeace's New Urban Mobility Concept outlines six principles for assessing city mobility: proximity, convenience, connections, enjoyment, safety, and culture. It shows what is important for a green mobility choice to be attractive, and provides ideas of how citizens could be involved in designing or evaluating mobility policies

Further useful resource: How to talk about climate change - A toolkit for encouraging collective action by Oxfam

2. Take Citizens’ Worries Seriously

Listening is an essential part of climate narratives. When faced with climate policies, citizens may worry about job security, economic growth, or infrastructure inadequacies. For instance, the SINUS Study for the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Survey on Social-ecological transformation (2023) reveals that many Germans prioritise job preservation over environmental protection, highlighting the need to address these economic fears directly. 

Solutions will not be embraced unless people feel they address a problem they recognise. Rather than focusing on persuading people, prioritize listening to concerns, fears, and aspirations. Acknowledge citizens' needs for justice and fairness in climate policies.

Examples:

• In Ghent, Living Streets functioned as a series of real-life experiments whereby residents can temporarily turn their street into a place where people feel comfortable spending time once there are fewer cars and more social interaction. The Living Streets were first developed in Ghent in 2012, as an  experiment involving only two streets, but in 2021 it extended to over 25 residential roads across the city. Living streets are an ideal platform to experiment with alternative and green infrastructures, new forms of urban transport and mobility, remote parking and so on.
• In Vienna, the inner Mariahilfer Straße project to calm traffic was completed in 2015. In the decisive citizens' vote in 2014, there was only a narrow majority in favour of the project (53%). Five years later, 71% had already voted in favour of a conversion. Initially, there was resistance from people aged 55 and over. For them, it was particularly difficult to come to terms with the change before the remodelling. 
• Climate Narrative Workshops in Scotland have demonstrated that people engage more positively in discussions of climate change when those discussions align with their values and identity.

3. Tell Stories That Move

Storytelling is essential for engaging residents and understanding community needs. A compelling narrative builds shared identity and inspires transformation through common goals and values.

Convey messages not only through factual reports and scientific debates but also through engaging storytelling. This approach can make the abstract and complex nature of climate change more relatable and impactful. Storytelling can illustrate abstract concepts, make the issue more tangible, and inspire moral action.

Examples:

• Copenhagen has built its identity around cycling, integrating it into branding and city planning. See this video and the City of Copenhagen's Bicycle Strategy, 2011-2025.
• New York City's "Intersection" podcast series informs residents about infrastructure projects and their impact on public spaces, creating an accessible dialogue around urban change.

For more, explore Climate Story Labs, which amplify impactful storytelling tailored to regional climate priorities.

4. Highlight Frontrunners and Success Stories

Amplify the success of similar initiatives elsewhere to inspire confidence and provide a blueprint for your community. Highlighting tangible outcomes and relatable success stories bridges the gap between aspiration and reality.

One way to do this is by highlighting stories of individuals or communities who have embraced sustainable practices and seen tangible benefits. Frontrunners provide proof-of-concept and inspiration, demonstrating that climate adaptation and mitigation strategies are achievable. Their examples serve as both motivation and a practical guide for implementation.

Examples:

• In Vienna, after the inner Mariahilfer Straße was transformed into a pedestrianized street, various streets in the surrounding were re-designed to be more bike- and pedestrian friendly, as e.g. the Otto-Bauer-Gasse, Zieglergasse and Neubaugasse.
• London’s School Streets program has transformed areas around 500 schools, reducing emissions by 23% and improving safety and social cohesion. School staff and parents all agreed that having a School Street was a positive step towards safer, calmer, cleaner, and more healthy local areas and offered: Educational opportunities to engage and motivate children; Increasing appeal of the school and whole area; Social interaction and convivial pleasant atmosphere at school gate; and Growing sense of “neighbourhood”.
• Pontevedra, Spain, achieved an 85% reduction in traffic and a 67% drop in emissions by prioritising pedestrian zones, and eliminating traffic-related fatalities for over a decade. 

5. Provide Clear, Transparent and Accessible Data

Transparency includes clear and accessible information about climate policies - explaining why certain measures were taken, how decisions were made, and their benefits. To monitor your progress, think about measuring and sharing the impact of policies, not only in terms of CO2 reductions but also in terms of co-benefits.

Several principles help you ensuring that your data is clear, transparent and accessible

• simplicity & relevance - Present data in an easy-to-understand format without overloading with unnecessary details. Use clear headings, labels, and concise descriptions. Filter out unnecessary information and highlight key insights.
• transparency & accessibility - Ensure data is easy to access and use appropriate visual tools like charts, graphs and maps to make data more comprehensible. Make it available in commonly used formats and ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Provide clear explanations of how the data was collected, processed, and analyzed.
• consistency - Use consistent terminology, metrics, and visual formats across datasets.
• accuracy - Ensure the data is correct, up-to-date, and verified against reliable sources.

6. Engage Unexpected Allies

Expand the reach of climate messages by partnering with unexpected allies who connect with audiences that city officials often struggle to reach.

These unexpected allies might include groups like sports clubs, local businesses, and schools. In these conversations, it is important to also highlight co-benefits that appeal to these groups, such as economic innovation, health, sport or community improvement, keeping climate discussions relevant and accessible. Other potential links are rethinking public spaces, economy, and innovation, keeping the climate debate present through these benefits.

Examples:

• Football clubs in Valladolid and Porto partnered with local governments to promote climate policies through players' influence.
• DJs for Climate Action uses the cultural power of dance music to create conversations and solutions for climate issues.
• Events like Earth Night leverage nightlife to unite communities around climate action.

7. Empower Changemakers and Promote Alliances

Local governments are not the sole agents of change. Civil society, advocacy groups, and community leaders play critical roles in climate communication.

In many cities, groups advocating for cleaner air around schools or better public transport have emerged as powerful voices. Public administrations should support these entities, as they lend credibility and foster a more democratic and organized society.

Examples

• The Barcelona Health Hub advances innovation in digital health and its transfer to the sector linking startups, health organisations, corporations and investors.

8. Listen and Co-Create Solutions with Communities

Involving citizens in decision-making processes ensures that climate policies reflect their needs and realities, making them grounded in the realities of citizens and more likely to succeed.

Instead of solely presenting solutions, engage people in imagining what their city could look like in 15 years with the deployment of these policies. Use co-creation exercises to involve citizens in shaping their future and designing solutions that address their specific concerns. Listening to people and incorporating their ideas fosters ownership and engagement in the climate transition. Co-creation transforms climate policies from top-down mandates into shared community endeavours.

Examples:

• Barcelona’s Superblocks initiative engaged residents in redesigning streets, allowing them to adapt proposals to their needs.
• Copenhagen invited residents to shape pedestrian zones collaboratively, fostering a sense of ownership and trust. 
• In Ghent, Living Streets functioned as a series of real-life experiments whereby residents can temporarily turn their street into a place where people feel comfortable spending time once there are fewer cars and more social interaction.

Final Thoughts

Fairness is Non-Negotiable

Climate policies cannot succeed if they are perceived as unfair. Policies that impose undue burdens on vulnerable populations without offering tangible benefits will face resistance. Reducing emissions alone is insufficient, policies must also improve quality of life by, e.g. lowering public transport fares, expanding access to green spaces, promoting safer, healthier communities.

Know Your Target Audience

No matter how good your policy or project is, if we do not consider who the target group is and what this target group is really interested in, our communication efforts will come to nothing. Thus, effective narrative building requires understanding your audience deeply. Ask yourself: Who are they? What might be their concerns? How do they prefer to receive information? What influences their opinions and decisions?

Building Bridges for Climate Action

An effective climate narrative is more than just conveying information - it is about building trust, fostering understanding, and inspiring action. By emphasizing co-benefits, listening to citizens’ concerns, and using compelling narratives, we can make climate policies feel relevant and achievable. At the same time we need to stay conscious that often it’s not enough to speak; we must engage, co-create, and empower communities to value them as part of the solution.