Using tangible examples in climate change messaging

Two Finnish artists just showed us the future of rising seas with light beams. On the remote islands of Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Ahokanto crafted "Lines" – an installation using sensors to trigger beams of light showing exactly where future sea levels will reach. As tides rise, white light activates across fields, shorelines, and buildings. Not charts, graphs, or projections – actual visual lines marking what's coming. Most climate models remain abstract until it's too late. This makes the invisible visible in real time. And the impact hits you in the gut in ways no slide deck ever could. The artists later brought this stark visualization to Miami Beach, letting another vulnerable coastal community see their future written in light. From Scottish islands to American shores, the message remains equally powerful. For those of us connecting capital to climate solutions, there's a valuable lesson. Sometimes the most compelling investment case isn't found in ROI projections, but in making climate risk tangible and personal. What communication methods have you found most effective when explaining climate risk to skeptical stakeholders?

Why big problems need small wins For decades, Enrique Ortiz has worked to protect some of the world’s most vital ecosystems. In a recent Mongabay commentary, he voiced a truth that many in conservation rarely say aloud: Environmental messaging is failing to inspire enough people to act. The facts are known, yet they rarely change minds. To break through, Ortiz argues, we must tell stories of tangible change—rooted in real places, people, and results—so hope becomes not just a feeling, but a reason to act. The science is not flawed, nor the dangers overstated. The problem is relying too heavily on facts to change minds in a world where facts alone rarely do. Research shows people decide through a mix of emotion, experience, and social cues—not purely data. This mismatch explains why so many accurate messages fall flat. Climate change, framed mostly in planetary terms, can feel so vast & distant that individuals see no way to influence it. Ortiz calls for a narrative “revolution”—stories of adaptation & resilience, grounded in lived experience, over abstract warnings. When he taught students about plant-animal interactions, they forgot the scientific details but remembered the stories. This is “narrative transportation”—a neurological process that helps ideas stick & decisions shift. The bigger the problem, the smaller an individual feels. “Solve climate change” can seem visible but unreachable. People retreat from news they find exhausting, while opponents of climate action exploit this futility to erode momentum. The antidote is not to downplay the crisis, but to scale part of the narrative so people can see the difference they make. Optimism is not naïve—it is an engine for agency. Local action makes results tangible. In the Philippines, communities replanting mangroves can measure shifts in tides & storm protection. In the Comoros, a no-take fishing zone means fuller nets just outside its boundaries. These are not diversions from the bigger fight; they are proof that people respond to challenges they can touch, shape, and witness. Local victories ripple outward, offering blueprints others can adapt. They turn abstractions like “protecting biodiversity” into bringing salmon back to a river or keeping sea turtles nesting on a beach. A steady diet of doom breeds political stagnation. People who believe nothing can be done rarely act. Those who have seen a wetland restored tend to keep showing up. Ortiz’s call is to reframe the vantage point. The global crisis is real, but change grows from local soil. By linking a patch of prairie to global biodiversity or a rooftop solar panel to energy transformation, we make a global problem feel solvable. Global change won’t happen in one leap, but through thousands of small, visible wins that build momentum for systemic shifts. Local victories & systems change are inseparable; each creates space for the other. The outcome is unwritten—but at the human scale, it is possible.

Sustainability communication is shifting toward authenticity and impact 🌍 Getty Images’ latest VisualGPS: Sustainability at the Crossroads report highlights a critical shift in how sustainability should be visually communicated. Drawing on extensive global research conducted between 2022 and 2025, the report reveals that consumers increasingly expect brands to convey sustainability narratives with realism, transparency, and inclusivity. With visual storytelling playing a central role in shaping perceptions, the report outlines evolving preferences and expectations that should inform visual strategies across industries. A key finding is that while climate change remains a top global concern, “sustainability” as a concept is not equally prioritized. Consumers respond most strongly to issues with direct and visible consequences, such as extreme weather events. As a result, visuals that depict the tangible effects of climate change perform significantly better than abstract or symbolic representations. Getty Images data shows that audiences are disengaging from imagery such as polar bears or melting ice caps in favor of more grounded depictions of real people taking meaningful action. This shift comes amid widespread skepticism. Nearly 90% of consumers believe businesses should use their resources to improve society and the environment, yet two-thirds doubt their commitment to sustainability. Greenwashing concerns are high, with 76% perceiving “green” labels as marketing tactics. In this context, visuals must do more than signal good intent, they must substantiate it with clarity and evidence. Getty Images emphasizes the need for visuals that reflect authentic, results-oriented efforts rather than idealized scenarios. The report also identifies regional differences in visual expectations. European audiences demand unfiltered depictions of environmental impact and policy response, while Latin American consumers prefer visuals grounded in reality, with a focus on collaboration and protection. As sustainability becomes a core expectation, consumers are looking beyond isolated campaigns. They want to see sustainability embedded across all facets of a company’s operations, from product design and supply chains to packaging and employee practices. Getty Images refers to this as “quiet sustainability,” where actions speak louder than declarations, and visuals must reflect this integration to build credibility and trust. The visual landscape is moving away from abstract symbolism toward real-world representation. Consumers want visuals that are inclusive, honest, and grounded in action. For brands, this presents an opportunity to align visual content with the expectations of a more informed, cautious, and values-driven audience, delivering authenticity as both a creative and strategic imperative. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #storytelling