Engaging audiences with unconventional climate projects

Fascinating new paper from University College Cork on the impacts of arts, creative and cultural initiatives in fostering citizen engagement and advancing climate action. The research, published in #Current_Research_Environmental_Sustainability, evaluated five distinct creative projects, each addressing critical themes such as sustainable agriculture, circular economy, repair culture, consumption habits, sea-level rise, biodiversity, and community-driven climate action. These community based initiatives to enhance public participation in climate action were supported by the Creative Ireland Creative Climate Action Programme funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The results showed that that interactive, participatory-style creative mediums led by artists and practitioners, such as demonstrations, workshops, presentations, and discussion, effectively engaged participants across cognitive, emotional, and practical dimensions. Respondents reported an increased sense of self-efficacy and capacity to take achievable climate actions. Community-centred, peer-sharing formats emerged as trusted and valued opportunities for accessing relevant climate information, aiding constructive dialogue on complex topics. Artists' unique perspectives and creative expressions generated positive energy and an openness to engage, renewing participants' motivation to act. Findings suggest that targeted creative community events can significantly support climate policy efforts by fostering high-quality citizen engagement. The research was undertaken by Prof Marguerite Nyhan's team and Alexandra Revez at UCC Environmental Research Institute and Research Ireland MaREI Centre. The paper is freely available to download from https://lnkd.in/eKBzyevN

When I started the Carbon Exposure Project, the goal was simple: reclaim the narrative around carbon markets. At the time, I figured I could leverage my network and access to thought leaders to deliver a few interviews. But the response surprised me — people tuned in, shared, and asked for more. Before long, we had (accidentally I might add) created a platform for storytelling for our industry. After two seasons, though, a challenge came back from our audience: “you’re telling these stories from the perspective of the global north, while the projects themselves are rooted in the global south”. They were right. And that pushed us to evolve. Now, as we wrap production on season 3, we’re not just talking about projects — we’re documenting them. Showing the impact on communities, on biodiversity, and on carbon in its many forms (avoidance, reductions, removals). This week, we launch our first full documentary with Verity Nature in New Zealand. And it’s just the beginning — with documentaries of projects in Kenya, Brazil, to come, and a few other surprises ahead. The Carbon Exposure Project has grown into something bigger than a podcast. We’ve become a storytelling platform for climate action. And soon, even more. So stay tuned! #CarbonExposureProject #Storytelling #ClimateAction #VCM #NatureBased

what if NFTs could fight climate change? ours did (with dragons 🐉) we sold digital dragons and saved 2,500 acres of real land. here's how our NFT project generated $1M for climate action. we saw that climate tech is still trapped in traditional models that move too slowly. the climate crisis isn't waiting. neither were we. meanwhile, web3 was attracting millions in capital for digital art and gaming. could we bridge these worlds? the task: create something that would appeal to gamers, NFT collectors, and web3 enthusiasts while channeling resources to climate solutions. we needed to speak a completely different language than typical climate initiatives. our game plan: → developed "The Mighty Dragon of Regen" narrative that intentionally didn't look or feel like climate action → created a visual language we called "Tribal Futuristic Solarpunk" - no pictures of trees or children in the global south → built a vibrant digital presence with rich animations and micro-interactions → used AI to generate quest illustrations automatically → designed 3D character NFTs as "Vanguards" in partnership with Koffeecup the results stunned us: → $1M in revenue generated through NFT sales → $580K allocated to direct grants to climate projects → 17 organizations funded and many more accelerated → 60,000 hectares of carbon secured on a Pacific island → 100,000+ mangroves planted → 69,300 kWh of green electricity generated → 2,500 acres of land protected → 10 out of 18 projects in the Global South most importantly, we proved that we can tap into entirely new sources of capital and energy for climate action by speaking a different language. we didn't need to convince people to care about climate, we just needed to engage them through channels they already valued. this wasn't just a dream come true, but a powerful testing ground for strategies we've been developing at Future Works. what unconventional bridges have you built between different worlds? See the full case study on my first comment 👇 #ClimateInnovation #DigitalStrategy #Transformation #FutureQuest

Research reports like you've never read before - comic strips introduce The Incredibeavs, trees have autobiographies & butterflies are reality TV stars! We’re excited to share our latest Nature Returns publication, which takes an innovative creative approach to sharing the range of evidence that the Nature Returns Programme and its local partners have been collecting. Read the series of fascinating short stories and adaptations in Fictioning Nature Returns here: https://lnkd.in/dvMe5mij Natural England social scientists and thematic specialists in our Chief Scientist Directorate have been exploring the value that arts-based research can offer our science and evidence processes. As part of this research, members of our Climate Change team worked collaboratively with artist Becky Lyon on a climate and nature focused project. A core insight from this project was that action on the climate and nature crisis doesn’t always correspond to the level of evidence being shared; as a result the team explored ways to be more creative in the way we reach people and inspire action. One of these creative processes was ‘Fictioning’, where people are invited to rewrite sections of published evidence reports in different voices and genres, to help us explore not just what is being said, but how, and by whom. This creative process is about foraging for imaginative ways to engage with scientific work and exploring ways in which such findings can be shared to give greater access and reach a wider audience. Nature Returns is a cross-government collaborative programme to pilot and test Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change at the landscape scale through a ‘learning by doing’ approach, working closely with six local partners across England delivering habitat creation/restoration on the ground. These local partnerships were invited to try ‘Fictioning’ by rewriting extracts from Nature Returns publications, connecting with their emotions and senses in the process of telling these stories. Thanks to authors from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Plymouth City Council as well as the Natural England Nature Returns team for their brilliant contributions. Nature Returns is a collaboration between Natural England, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. For more background, visit the Nature Returns website https://lnkd.in/dU8jaP6Y. Further information on Fictioning Climate Voices can be found at https://lnkd.in/d8rPRUsR