How to Break through the COP27 Noise

News about climate change and climate policy is already quite saturated—and the level of commentary grows exponentially more prominent around the UN’s Climate Change Summit. As the chart above points out, the conversation around COP and climate change on social media spiked dramatically as soon as COP26 begun on October 31, 2021.

It’s not surprising since around 30,000 people descend on a chosen city every year, with major media outlets bolstering in anticipation. Global leaders get the most attention as they point fingers or choose to cooperate. On the side-lines, corporations and civil society aim to get traction as well, issuing promises and criticisms in the hope that someone will listen.

So, how do we cut through the noise when the competition is so fierce? How do we make sure our message gets picked up? Below are some pointers based on the coverage of the last three summits.

Harness the power of numbers

Greenwashing is currently a serious concern. Companies are being attacked for using climate change as a creative PR stunt and committing to vague, non- binding pledges rather than enacting real change. However, the fact is that pledges are important to pushing the green agenda forward.

Today, the trick to avoid that negative perception is for businesses to make a pledge or commit funds as a coalition. We saw it in COP24 (2018) when a group of foundations and development banks made headlines by announcing a USD $10.5 billion fund to help emerging economies. Or after 43 fashion leaders presented a vision for the industry to achieve net zero emissions.

These companies managed to draw positive attention by joining forces. However, transparency and accountability are essential to avoiding a backlash post-announcement. Individual businesses must exercise due diligence once the pledge is issued— even if it means issuing individual reports or internal enforcement mechanisms to stand out. In inspiration of COP itself, designing clean and transparent processes is half the battle.

Issue a call to action

Rather than showing up at COP itself, urging governments to act publicly is a powerful way to generate attention. Businesses need governments to issue guidelines to help pave the way for transformation, and it can be a strong message to highlight inefficiencies in this space and demand action.

We witnessed a display of this effort a few months ago when institutional investors urged government officials to raise their climate ambitions by mandating climate transition plans and calling for more climate disclosure across the financial system.

The key to impact here is specificity. It’s not enough to gripe or instil blame elsewhere; it’s essential to highlight requests needed and emphasise how a lack thereof is hurting businesses worldwide.

Leverage facts and figures

Often, figures pledged by global leaders around climate change are so vast that they are not disputed. However, studies that put these numbers into context can be memorable. The goal is not to shame governments or criticise figures, but to generate awareness around facts that are too confidently accepted.

For instance, governments and the private sector were praised after COP26 (2021) for setting aside USD $20 billion to save forests. However, a closer look showed that the number was a fraction of the USD $500 billion spent annually supporting fossil fuels. Similarly, in Glasgow, the United States pledged to provide USD $3 billion every year to help developing countries. Yet, when compared to the USD $14.5 billion spent on levees and pumps after Hurricane Katrina, its significance is diminished.

Consider independent partners

Whilst partnering with businesses can attract attention, working alongside groups that may not fall under the umbrella of ‘traditional’ stakeholders can be even more noteworthy and contribute to the legitimacy of your own efforts. For instance, young advocates made a huge impression in both COP24 (2018) and COP25 (2019) when Greta Thunberg and many others criticised governments for failing them.

Similarly, COP26 received significant criticism for gender and generation gaps during the talks, as most of those with decision-making power were older and male. There is a fine line between ensuring the partnership is genuine and helpful for both sides, and teaming up

with groups often overlooked, as this can transform traditional narratives across the press and even influence public opinion.

Adopt a growth mindset to spark innovation

Prior to engaging in an internal green transformation, either for product development or brand perception, it is crucial for companies to look inward and reflect on their values and priorities. The goal is to be authentic and to act; not for a press story or a few minutes of fame, but for a genuine evolution tied to the company’s purpose.

There are plenty of “sustainability fails” that could have been avoided, like setting unrealistic expectations aroundconsumer behaviour or developing a product that stirred too far from its base. Being a sustainable company is key to success in today’s world–but it will only be effective if it reflects what the company and its people value–rather than conforming to predisposed expectations.

Cristina Rue - 11/2022.