By Gemma Smyth, Managing Director, &Smyth Creative Communications

In the business community we are seeing a shift toward the realisation that inaction or climate delay is no longer an option as we need to achieve the most ambitious ever reduction in emissions in the shortest ever period of time. I have attended two events in recent weeks which have been focussed on the role of communications in addressing climate change, and what is clear is that we risk being complicit if we do not lean into the complexity of the issue.

The first event was a Climate Literacy Seminar hosted by the Guild of Agricultural Journalists of Ireland which aimed to assist journalists and communicators in navigating the topic of climate change. Opening the event, Independent Sustainability Advisor, Ali Sheridan delivered a powerful lecture setting out the reality of the challenge facing our world and the need for media and communicators to ask the hard questions as the business community seems to have moved from climate denial to climate delay.

Ali acknowledged that everyone is struggling to know the best course of action in this complex climate era but that a transformative mindset is needed in order to fundamentally change how we do everything before we run out of time. She said that “The position of being able to tell the story on this is a privileged position and it is going to be an increasingly important role. We need to start leaning into the complexity, getting braver and more courageous in asking the hard questions or we risk being complicit in our inaction.”

Last week’s annual PRII Conference also had a major focus on the role communications can play in tackling complex issues that require significant behavioural change from members of the public. In a fascinating interview, speaking from Geneva, Dr. Mike Ryan, Director of the WHO said that in his experience, leadership in times of emergency needs people who are trusted communicators and that progress can be made when scientists and communicators engage together. 

Acknowledging that climate change presents both the biggest challenge and opportunity for the PR industry, I have distilled 10 key learnings for communications professionals which I have taken from the last few weeks.