Hit Play - Climate Communication Group launches with a focus on collaboration and education

The PRCA’s Misinformation in the Climate Crisis Strategy Group hit pause at the end of 2022 and has taken some time to reset. It has now relaunched as the Climate Communication Group.

The group is led by co-chairs Laura Sutherland and Rebecca Zeitlin, supported by returning members Chris Pratt and Simon Francis.

Mission

Its mission is to help PR and communication professionals understand their responsibility when it comes to advising on climate change and how to integrate and communicate it. The group will host thought-provoking events, deliver new materials and research, and provide commentary on regulatory change throughout the year.

Climate Comms Group X

The event strategy is to collaborate with sector groups, taking a deeper look at sector-specific climate challenges and opportunities.

The first planned event is in collaboration with the PRCA’s Public Affairs Board and has a very high profile line-up including representatives from the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (Ross Gillam), The Climate Champions Group and Race to Zero Campaign (Matthew Phillips) and Climate Policy Radar (Sarah Goodenough). We will focus on the emerging requirements for climate lobbying disclosure (22 March).

The second (19 April) is in collaboration with the PRCA’s Health Group, a discussion with Dr Elaine Mulcahy, director of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change and Laura Mann, Head of Sustainability Corporate Affairs & Global Partnerships at AstraZeneca. We will discuss why environmental sustainability is key for healthcare.

Laura Sutherland, Co-chair and founder of Aura Advisory said:

“For the last two years, we’ve had a push on misinformation in the climate crisis and we’ve naturally widened the scope of the group due to the enormity of the crisis and indeed the opportunity for us to be part of the solution.

“I’m excited to work with Rebecca, Chris and Simon, along with many of our special advisors, to help bridge the education gap, plus take a more collaborative approach to reaching a wider audience. I hope you’ll join us as we make even more strides in 2023.”

The core group is using the reset as an opportunity to grow the range of expertise and bring a more diverse range of views into the group. This is a call for practitioners who can act as advisors to the group on an ad hoc basis, specifically in the field of technology, finance, energy, healthcare, fashion, transport and consumer packaged goods.

The relaunch also coincides with a new website (climatecommsgroup.com) which will be used as a hub to provide communication practitioners a starting point to find resources, answers to frequently asked questions, all to encourage practitioners to upskill in this key area.

The group’s website will also host guest blogs on key topics relating to climate and sustainability regulation, policy and communication. Practitioners can submit ideas for future posts and speaker opportunities via the website.

Rebecca Zeitlin, Co-chair and Marketing Director at climate tech company Levidian finished:

“The increasing focus on the role of communication in the climate crisis shines a light on the importance of supporting practitioners with the tools and knowledge they need to be effective counsellors and challengers in their organisations. Our role is critical. I’m looking forward to building on two years of strong work with Laura, Chris, and Simon and bringing in more expertise to support communicators.”