Dos and Don’ts for Climate Communications Professionals In the Era of Coronavirus
Wasn’t one global crisis enough? Yes. But that doesn’t mean we can afford to slow our work on climate.
Last week my fiancé and I were discussing the surreal images from around the world that are filling up our newsfeeds: Navy hospital ships deployed to New York City and Los Angeles; makeshift hospital tents set up across Central Park; the world’s greatest centers of tourism eerily empty; lines of sick people in masks waiting desperately to be tested.
I asked him, “Did you ever think you’d see anything like this in your lifetime?”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “And I never wanted to.”
Now, maybe that’s an expected answer for most, but he’s a Navy veteran who spent more than a decade training for terrifying and dire situations of all kinds. Struck by this cynic’s momentary lack of cynicism, I couldn’t help but give in to a short tantrum of anger and complaint about the state of the world we find ourselves in.
Clearly I have not yet reached the “acceptance” stage of grief over all this, as a recent Harvard Business Review article so intelligently points out, but I can’t be the only one who’s felt this. I assume my moment of “not fair/why me?” is almost universal for anyone who has ever lived through any type of colossal tragedy — be it war, famine, or natural disasters.
None of us signed up for this, but here we are.
It seems doubly unjust that the coronavirus pandemic has been thrown on top of a world already mired in struggles, one of which is the climate crisis. (Wasn’t one big threat to humankind enough?) But again, we just don’t get to choose.
Naturally, attention has shifted to the most immediate threat, and that makes sense. Resources are being reallocated to support us through the pandemic, and that also makes sense. There are countless lives at stake, and we must work together to save as many as we can.
Yet, as someone whose work has been focused on supporting the clean energy transition for years now, I believe it also makes sense to keep our eyes on our climate goals by continuing our work through the muck of our current reality. Just as healthcare workers, grocery store workers, and other essential laborers are choosing to soldier on for the good of the world right now, we must soldier on in our quest to stem the climate crisis. After all, our work is also centered around the goal of saving lives, and we cannot afford to stall those efforts. (Greenbiz’s Joel Makower made a wonderful argument on this topic in a recent newsletter — I highly recommend giving it a read!)
There are plenty of voices from the clean energy and climate action spaces out there providing guidance on how we can stay on track to meet our goals, but I personally live in the marketing and media relations world, so that’s the perspective I’m here to share with you. The following communications-related tips can help those in our industry keep up the good work, even while we’re getting a double dose of global struggle.
DON’T turn a blind eye to the pandemic in your content
You may be keeping at least six feet between yourself and just about everyone else right now, but that rule doesn’t have to apply to the pandemic and your content. It may feel like a scary or highly sensitive topic to address, or it may feel too far outside the realm of what your organization does, but this is too huge a topic to be conveniently avoided. In short, you shouldn’t be tone deaf and ignore the giant pandemic in the room. It’s what’s on everyone’s minds, so let’s hear what your team of experts has to add to the conversation.
I believe all of us should be including timely perspectives in our blogs, social posts, newsletters and more. Find pertinent topics where you can contribute something new. For example, a solar company might investigate the impact of the pandemic on jobs in their sector. Or an organization fighting air pollution might continue their fight against coal plants by writing a piece on respiratory health impacts from coal plant emissions and the link to increased mortality rates from COVID-19.
The important thing is not to be opportunistic with coronavirus angles, but rather to be relevant and contextual. And if you can figure that out, your typical media contacts will thank you, even if they aren’t health reporters. I’ve already heard it from several contacts I work with at small energy trade publications — they aren’t covering much of anything right now that doesn’t somehow relate to the pandemic and shed some very specific light on the issues their industry is facing.
Here’s a great example from clean energy think tank Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) on local leadership during a global crisis. It’s a topic that’s always been fairly central to their work, but now they’re reframing it through a new and more timely lens.
DO draw useful parallels between these two global crises to help us learn
Philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” So, let’s start learning. From the responses of companies worldwide to the reactions of our policymakers, how can our current situation and the wisdom we’re collectively gaining actually better equip us to tackle the climate crisis?
For example, what are we learning about how to make remote work and education actually work for everyone? Is this a worthwhile tool to help limit emissions from the transportation sector? How about the fast collaboration across industries we’re witnessing to solve new and complex problems? Could those uncommon models of working together be applied to climate issues? (Hint: yes.)
There are already a wealth of good examples out there, like this one from sustainability nonprofit Ceres: their CEO recently penned an article for Forbes on the wake up call this pandemic is providing and the urgency to create a more sustainable future and inclusive economy. The Los Angeles Times also recently shared a great article that explored what climate action might look like if it mirrored our current pandemic response.
It’s only human to look for a silver lining in a moment of struggle, and this undoubtedly will be one of them: the coronavirus pandemic is handing us the tools to do better in the face of future crises. It may even help us prevent them. What new insight can your organization contribute? Dig in and let us know what you find.
DON’T politicize or take advantage of a tough situation
Allow me to draw a fine line between my above suggestion and something that should absolutely be avoided: drawing parallels and learning from the pandemic are one thing, but taking advantage of the situation for your own gain is another thing entirely.
Do. Not. Do. It.
We’ve seen it before: it’s often tempting to use natural disasters and other calamities — like a hurricane, for example — to make the case for things like resilient, clean energy solutions (that your company conveniently sells). Sure, there’s plenty of validity to those arguments. But nobody wants to hear that right now.
We do not want to capitalize on anyone’s fear or misfortune, we want to support our audiences with what they’re experiencing now while also paving the way to a better future. I think the main idea here is to keep your messaging positive and encouraging, without an ounce of “I told you so.” What those of us at climate-focused organizations are trying to do will require having everyone on our side, not creating more adversaries. So, play nice.
DO take your offerings online, and do it fast
I get it. This stuck-at-home thing is a very necessary evil that we’re not all enjoying (although I thank you all for doing your part and staying in anyway). Conferences and events have been canceled across the board as we wait out the storm, with no real end in sight. But in our industry, time is not on our side, so we need a workaround. Instead of calling everything off, we’ve got to get creative and adjust all our offerings for virtual participation to keep up our momentum.
This may include conferences, business development meetings, or educational and networking sessions. Today’s video conferencing options make most of this pretty simple, and you can adjust your agendas as needed to fit the format. Making this quick shift can show your audience that you’re both resilient in the face of a challenge and also doggedly committed to your work.
Don’t forget the important step of overcommunicating with your audience about the changes you’re making and the new offerings you’re working on. Keep them updated via email newsletters and social media posts every step of the way so they realize your work is forging on in new ways.
I’ve already seen plenty of great examples of companies thinking fast and staying flexible. Just recently I received an email from French electric utility Engie about a brand new virtual event they’re planning for May 2020. Their ACCELERATE 2020 Sustainability Conference will be free to join and will help industry players get on track to reach renewable energy and carbon reduction goals. I have to give them an extra high-five for this one, because this wasn’t just an old event turned virtual; Engie took it upon themselves to create something new to help keep their audience connected and on the right path.
DO reassess your team’s priorities
No matter what you do, there’s a good chance your team’s availability and/or workload will change. Many parents are working from home while trying to homeschool their kids. Some companies may experience layoffs. And with the global economy looking shaky at best, it’s very possible that regularly expected funding — whether from investors, grants or donations — could be impacted. One thing’s for sure: this is not business as usual.
If you have a long list of projects in the hopper, now is the time to come together as a team to decide which are most urgent and which might have to be delayed based on the evolving situation at hand. Instead of pushing forward with every single project on your list, unable to dedicate the time and resources that each one truly needs to succeed, decide now which ones should top the list. Hopefully you can choose based on impact. For example, if one of the items is a media push around an initiative that supports large-scale renewable energy projects, you may choose to keep your resources there and delay the pile of award submissions you’ve been avoiding since the holidays.
While we stare both the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis in the eyes, side by side, there’s no use in arguing one versus the other. Yes, one is more immediate than the other, but both are massive challenges. Both can and will take lives. Both require our attention. We must address both.
So, to all you climate, environment and clean energy warriors, I say — keep marching onward! This work is too important to stall. Our fight is just as important as it was before 2020 hit us all like a lead dodgeball in the collective stomach. Make adjustments, learn what you can, and keep on keeping on throughout this new normal.
Oh, and stay home!
