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How we created impact with six innovative climate campaigns

Misinformation Alert: Conspiracy Thinking

Did you know up to one in three Britons already believe some kind of conspiracy theory? Every year, the effects of climate change become clearer and there is no guarantee that all Brits will believe the science. Instead, they may turn to alternative explanations - such as conspiracies - to

Strategic guide: can ChatGPT help us improve climate comms?

OpenAI's ChatGPT is an AI language processor that has been taking the internet by storm. Whether it's just a fad, or a toolset that will continue to change the way we interact with technology for years to come, the team at ACT have been having fun experimenting with how it

Strategic Guide: Crisis communications during misinformation spikes

Seemingly overnight, an ordinary traffic calming scheme in Oxford turned into an international conspiracy theory. Climate organisations were suddenly fielding queries about "15-minute cities", ranging from well-meaning concerns about local planning to accusations of globalist plots.   But how can we separate the well-meaning from the troll? How can we prepare

Impact Numbers: Results from Five Advertising Campaigns with Climate NGOs

How can advertising supercharge climate communications and help us get ahead of misinformation? ACT Climate Labs recently concluded five advertising projects across various media channels, using budgets ranging from £29,000 to £300,000. These projects - in partnership with climate NGOs - were designed to cut through to hard-to-reach

ACT Event Summary: What Britons Think About Climate Change

How do you go beyond the usual suspects, and engage more people with climate action? At our latest event, we shared results and insights from our three-month programme of research in 2022. We talked to Persuadables across the UK, and complemented these qualitative conversations with desk research, and expert consultation.

Creating hope for a green industrial future in the West Midlands: An advertising case study

As part of our mission to supercharge climate communications in the UK, ACT Climate Labs frequently conduct innovative advertising projects in partnership with climate NGOs. We test new techniques, messages and approaches across diverse media, with diverse budgets. All of our campaigns are designed to cut through to hard-to-reach audiences.

Enabling local climate action with trusted messengers and positive messaging: An advertising case study

As part of our mission to supercharge climate communications in the UK, ACT Climate Labs frequently conduct innovative advertising projects in partnership with climate NGOs. We test new techniques, messages and approaches across diverse media, with diverse budgets. All of our campaigns are designed to cut through to hard-to-reach audiences.

Using trusted TikTok and Instagram influencers for hard-to-reach audiences: An advertising case study

Positive storytelling to combat heat pump misinformation: An advertising case study

As part of our mission to supercharge climate communications in the UK, ACT Climate Labs frequently conduct innovative advertising projects in partnership with climate NGOs. We test new techniques, messages and approaches across diverse media, with diverse budgets. All of our campaigns are designed to cut through to hard-to-reach audiences.

Debunking Misinformation with Fact, Myth, Fallacy: An advertising case study

As part of our mission to supercharge climate communications in the UK, ACT Climate Labs frequently conduct innovative advertising projects in partnership with climate NGOs. We test new techniques, messages and approaches across diverse media, with diverse budgets. All of our campaigns are designed to cut through to hard-to-reach audiences.

Positive, personal storytelling on insulation - before misinformation sets in: An advertising case study

As part of our mission to supercharge climate communications in the UK, ACT Climate Labs frequently conduct innovative advertising projects in partnership with climate NGOs. We test new techniques, messages and approaches across diverse media, with diverse budgets. All of our campaigns are designed to cut through to hard-to-reach audiences.

Audience Insights: Climate and Faith

The majority of people in England and Wales (56.8%) identify as following some faith; and for many of those it will be a crucial part of their lives. Whenever communicating with large audiences, we need to bear in mind we're likely talking to at least some people of faith.

Key dates for your 2023 calendar

Hello again! We hope 2023 is being kind to you all so far. Our planning for the year ahead, unlike Dry January, hasn't stopped just yet. From Eurovision to the King's coronation; here are the top five cultural moments that we think all our members should be adding to their

Misinformation Alert: Four trends to watch out for in 2023

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful, well-earned break. Here at ACT, we are of course planning for the year ahead. From the 'end' of Twitter to the return of conspiracy; here are four trends that we think all our members should look out for in 2023, followed

Misinformation Alert: What Britain Thinks

This month we have new insights on Brits' perception of climate misinformation, thanks to a report launched by Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD) and the Conscious Advertising Network. * What's going on? How many Brits believe false statements about climate-related issues, from climate science to energy sources? * Who's involved? Who is

Misinformation Alert: Climate Reparations

At Cop27, a fund was established to help poor, vulnerable nations cope with the impacts of climate change. This fund is officially referred to as 'loss and damage'. However, the same fund is commonly referred to as 'climate reparations' by climate activists, the mainstream press and disinformation spreaders alike. Persuadables

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Misinformation Alert: COP27

COP27 is around the corner, taking place in Sharm el-Shiekh from 6th to 18th November 2022. There will be more climate change information, and misinformation in the press and online during this time. Thanks to research in this space, we are better equipped than ever to get ahead of likely

Misinformation Alert: Persuadables VS Scientific Consensus

Climate misinformation in the UK often attacks climate policy or climate action. But science denial is still prolific online and offline - and Persuadables are engaging with it. Many Persuadables already hold sceptical views about climate change, so what can we do? In this newsletter we will cover: * What's going

ACT Event Summary: Climate & Cohesion

ACT held an in person event recently, when an expert panel discussed how to create effective climate communications against a back drop of the culture wars. This newsletter's key learnings: * What's going on? The culture wars in the context of the cost of living crisis. * How can we get ahead?

Misinformation Alert: How Delayers are Piggybacking the Energy Crisis

Brits are now paying some of the highest prices in Europe for electricity, during a major cost-of-living crisis. This is due to high gas prices following global lockdown and compounded by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Disinformation actors in the UK are tapping into the emotions behind these events. They're trying

Audience Insights: Meet the Persuadables in the UK

We talk a lot about 'The Persuadables', the 69% of people in the UK who are neither climate activists or climate deniers. We call them this because they are still 'persuadable' by both pro-climate and anti-climate groups. This makes them an essential audience to engage with - because they've not

ACT Event: Climate and Cohesion: Finding Common Ground in the Culture Wars

How to create effective climate communications and counter harmful culture war narratives Join the ACT Climate Labs team for our next in person event on Tuesday 27th September from 9:30am. Communicating with the backdrop of the ongoing cost of living and energy crises requires navigating culture wars and divisive

Inclusive Climate Conversations

How do we reach and engage diverse and marginalised audiences with climate issues? Recently, ACT Climate Labs' Insights Director, Harriet Kingaby discussed how we can make climate communications more inclusive with Steven Sahota, North of England and Scotland Regional Coordinator for Hope for the Future. Hope for the Future is

Misinformation Alert: Extreme Weather

In February 2022 England suffered 'the most severe and damaging storm ... since 2014'. Just five months later, the United Kingdom set a new temperature record at 40.3 degrees, measured in Coningsby in Lincolnshire. With another heatwave predicted in 2022, and extreme weather expected to become more common, we investigate

Audience Insights: Using football to talk about climate issues

With the Premier League about to kick off again soon for another season, this post provides actionable advice on how to create engaging, interest-led climate comms, which centre around football. Included: * Whats going on? What is happening in the football and climate conversation and who's made the most of the

Misinformation Alert: Conservative Leadership Race

Intro Boris Johnson oversaw one of the most climate-friendly Conservative governments for some time - possibly of all time. But, with a new leader to take his place by September, could all that progress now be at risk? This threat alert will be useful for everyone who needs to communicate

Misinformation Alert: Corporate Greed

Right leaning news publications have been unsuccessfully trying to derail public support of the windfall tax on the extraordinary profit made by oil and gas companies. Perceptions of corporate greed from Loyal Nationals and Disengaged Battlers can help us to fight misinformation around the tax and frame future climate communications.

Misinformation Alert: Beware The Eco Mob

Dehumanising language is dangerous because it presents groups as less then human and often outside of society.  Increasingly, we're seeing climate protestors and environmental activists described in this way, as 'vandals' or 'mobs'. Reporting also centres on the human distress caused by protests, decreasing the likelihood that Persuadables will engage

Strategic Guide: What is Climate Misinformation?

Here is everything you need to know about how misinformation impacts organisations, brands and audiences. Included: * What is going on? What is climate misinformation, and how do we know how to spot it? * Delay messaging: A new and sophisticated form of denial. * Conspiracy: An ugly way of eroding trust and

ACT Webinar: Inclusive Climate Communications

Misinformation Alert: Fact, Myth, Fallacy

We frequently mention the "Fact, Myth, Fallacy" model in our Misinformation Alerts, so we wanted to give you a deep dive into this useful technique. You can use it to craft messages, develop misinformation informed strategies, or attack a specific narrative that is hurting your organisations' reputation or campaign. If

Misinformation Alert: Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure creates diverse and multifaceted conversations from a wide range of audiences from City Dwellers, to Northern farmers. These conversations are likely to impact climate communications no matter which sector you work in, but particularly when dealing with construction, green jobs, and levelling up. Organisations who are involved in

Misinformation Alert: Heat Pumps

Climate delayers in the UK are adding to the wider Cost of Net Zero conversation by undermining the efficiency of heat pumps, and overexaggerating the costs. This is important as it's casting doubt on renewables as a viable solution and undermining climate communications in this space. This misinformation alert is

Misinformation Alert: Energy & the Russian invasion of Ukraine

A lot of the misinformation being spread about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is linked to issues of energy efficiency, energy transition, green jobs, and politics, including Net Zero. They are very prominent in the media and impacting the way people think about these topics. Organisations that speak to men,

Misinformation Alert: Cost of Net Zero (CONZ)

An explainer to one of the main 'delayer' narratives in the mainstream media in 2021 and 2022. Included: * What is the 'Cost of Net Zero'? * How can the 'Cost of Net Zero' impact your communications? * How to adapt your messages to reach audiences with a positive message This guide was

Advertising Guide: How to use Reframing to improve communications

This guide is designed to give you the tools you need to improve your messaging on everything climate-related. After reading this guide you should have a good idea about what frames are, how bad actors use them, and how to fight back by crafting your own powerful climate communications. Included

Advertising Guide: Using digital media to supercharge results

It is crucial that we increase our reach and engage Persuadables with climate-positive messages. For that, we need to embrace advertising and marketing tactics, such as using a variety of different digital media.   In this guide to digital media, we'll discuss: what it is, why it matters, how it can

Misinformation Alert: Fracking

Climate delayers are positioning fracking as a way for the UK to increase energy independence and reduce energy prices. This misinformation alert is particularly relevant for organisations whose audience is right leaning and would be likely to describe themselves as working class. In this post, find out: * What is going