Communicating Climate Initiatives

By Kiah Ronaldson, Account Executive

There is no doubt that communicating climate initiatives is a challenging task. Any attempt to change consumer behaviour, policy or services can lead to complications, misunderstandings, or dislike from those opposed to divergence from the norm. With the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ‘Climate Change in the Irish Mind’ report we wanted to reflect on how past communications of legislative initiatives might have impacted national consumer behaviour.

Here are our key takeaways:

1.     Increased media coverage of climate crisis is helping heighten awareness.

In what feels like a silver lining from the EPA’s report, three-quarters of Irish people surveyed said that they hear about the Climate Crisis at least once a week in the media. This is a significant increase since 2021, when the figure stood at just 51%. Thinking about this development, and understanding media’s role in communicating on climate change, it’s important to note that while heightened awareness is a huge positive, it cannot carry the burden itself. Mass awareness and encouragement to fight the climate crisis must be followed by strict legislative changes that provide clear and tangible results.

2.    Legislative decisions can change consumer behaviours.

 A key example of how legislative action can inform climate-positive consumer behaviour is the Plastic Bag Levy. Something now so innate to the weekly shop that we rarely think twice about the 22c charge for a plastic bag - the price you pay for not bringing a tote to your local supermarket.

 The plastic bag levy, now 20 years after its initial introduction into Ireland, is proof that leveraging the personal experience can make a difference. The core messages of this action may have been to enact change and to reduce plastic waste in Ireland, but where this truly worked was in disrupting consumer habits. By enforcing a price on plastic, people began to reconsider the need for an excess of plastic bags and opted for more re-usable options like tote bags, heavy-duty shopping bags built-to-last, or simply re-using existing plastic bags at home. The plastic bag levy is a great example of how to switch mindsets and enact positive change for the climate, without fearmongering.

3.    Consider the approach – what incentivises change?

 In more recent times, there has been a call to reduce the volume of disposable coffee cups used. The so-called “Latte Levy” was introduced after a 2018 study was undertaken that found nearly 200 million disposable cups were thrown out per year in Ireland. Four years after this, it was announced that a 20c charge on all disposable coffee cups purchased would be introduced with the hopes of reducing non-compostable waste. While this has not yet come into play, we believe offering incentives for making more sustainable choices is a more palatable option. A good example of this is the recent ReTurn launch, for plastic and canned beverages where the consumer receives a rudimentary amount in exchange for properly disposing of the empty vessel at specific retail outlets.

 The efficacy of the “Latte Levy” remains to be seen as it has coincided with considerable economic inflation, causing the cost of running a café/restaurant to rise and therefore prices followed suit, in a sector already facing difficulty.

4.    Looking ahead – what can one person do?

As we move further into the new year and examine what climate action can be taken to move the dial more than where we already are, we feel that as communicators it’s important to note that no good change can come without teething problems.

 As stated in the EPA report, individuals often overestimate the impact of the small accumulative steps taken daily to reduce your emissions, which are incremental differences compared to the larger strides you can make in your climate conscious journey. By taking fewer flights, using public transport instead of the car, shopping sustainability, and in general – consuming less, you can make bigger and more impactful decisions that have more positive knock-on effects.

 However, reducing waste can be an important first step in helping lessen your climate footprint. Wholeheartedly believing your personal choices can help you make real change is fundamental in helping the climate crisis, and forgiving yourself if-and-when you make a mistake is imperative to staying consistent.

 You may forget your re-usable cup, water bottle, or tote bag on occasion, but remembering the majority of the time is more effective to helping the Climate Crisis than not at all.