Climate collapse, biodiversity loss, rivers running with sewage…it’s hard not to feel anxious about the current state of the planet. Previous research, conducted in 10 countries across the world, found that 84% of young people are worried about climate change.
This is a natural reaction to environmental destruction but it can leave people feeling helpless, overwhelmed, angry and depressed. So how do we turn these powerful emotions into action that benefits us all?
This is the question many marketers and creatives are asking themselves in relation to sustainability-focused campaigns and activations. As the creators and ambassadors of the eco community Earthtopia, here are some of the ways we’ve identified to engage audiences on this issue so they feel invested, empowered and inspired:
Make it relatable, attractive and highlight the ‘co-benefits’
Start by identifying your target audience and researching the type of language, content and formats that resonate with them. For instance, our community is less likely to engage when we talk about sacrifice and going without. So instead we focus on the (often multiple) benefits of a certain action e.g. rephrase ‘Give this up’, to more of a suggestion: ‘Switch to this and see how much better it is for your health and wallet, as well as the planet’.
We want to inspire people, not make them feel any more guilt. Instead of ‘Here’s why you shouldn’t fly on holiday’, for example, highlight the best staycation holiday spots and make sure the ease and benefits are too good to resist.
Focus on what you and your audience can change, rather than what you can’t
One person is not going to solve the climate crisis, it’s an incredibly complex issue that requires governments, organisations and individuals to work together. So start with what people can do in their daily lives — weave action into their mindset, e.g. switching one meal to plant-based each week, talking about the climate crisis in your inner circle, writing to your local MP, or making your commute green.
The climate crisis can make people feel helpless and it can sometimes seem like too big a problem to tackle, so it’s important to identify actions that people can control and easily take every day.
Even a small positive action, is still an action
Climate action needs to be accessible and reduce guilt — so there should be recognition for all the good people are already doing in the world. A small change can feel subtle but it’s important people don’t get too wrapped up in being ‘the perfect eco activist’ e.g. — one who gets arrested protesting outside a fossil fuel conference or lives off grid — these actions are great, but not possible for everyone.
What is ‘perfect’ anyway? In reality we don’t need perfect activists, we need imperfect ones, en masse. So acknowledge the small changes, as every action is a win and opens the door to that person considering more behaviour change. Positive steps can also have a big influence on others, so applaud them at every stage.
Help people reimagine a better world
Our belief is that hope leads to more action, but for people to feel hopeful, they need to be able to envision what a better future looks like. So highlight what will make the future greener, better, and fairer, and bring people on that journey. Via our Earthtopia channels, we feature stories that show the little (and big) things that create significant change, such as adding wildflowers to your garden to help wildlife, to Coldplay using crowd energy to power their world tour.
The current news cycle loves to focus on the bad — up to 98% of environmental news stories are negative. So we need to change the perspective that all hope is lost and we might as well continue the way we are, or not act at all. Instead we can flip the script and promote the idea that we have a real chance to create a world that’s better for everyone and here’s how we can do it.
Create a safe space
At Earthtopia, we are the custodians of a 500,000 strong community of people who care about the planet. Some are eco activists, some are eco activ(ish). They may feel alone, looking for like-minded people who care — especially as social media can sometimes make you feel unheard or unnoticed — so we try to respond to everyone and protect them from any trolls or climate deniers. We hope this kind of community spirit inspires them to share positive climate messages even further.
For example we’ve been fortunate enough to receive messages from our followers, expressing how our content has helped ease their eco-anxiety and given them new impetus. One primary school teacher even shared that they show our Good News Round-Ups to their class. This not only demonstrates that our core message is being heard but also that it’s being understood and passed on to others.
Turning the raw emotion of eco-anxiety into positive action for the planet needs to be channelled through inspiration, education and relatability. On Earthtopia, we’ve created a community that can chat openly about their environmental concerns, and a content strategy that counters negative feelings with impactful solutions and advice.
Every positive interaction we have, no matter how small, has the potential to create a ripple effect and lead to something bigger and greater — which is the movement we aspired to create.
By Rob Greenfield and Amber Carr, who run Earthtopia - One of TikTok and Instagram's biggest eco communities.
