The power of a tale: story as strategy in climate communications
This is an article from TRELLIS BRIEFING from January 26th, which featured an interview with the British author of “Godstorm”, a cli-fi novel. It has great relevance to CECC as it emphasizes the importance of using stories about real people to convince others (read owners, contractors, architects, engineers, suppliers) about the importance of reducing embodied carbon emissions, or even wanting to hear about embodied carbon emissions - a very esoteric topic. Here is a 33 minute video of an interview of the author by Trellis Chairman Joel Makower that will inspire you to learn more about her concept of storytelling and “hopeweaving”.
The book uses the premise that the internal combustion engine was invented during the Roman Empire, starting GHG emissions long before the science of climate change was developed. The Romans did see changes in the environment and attributed it to a new mythical god as they did with most of the forces of nature that they did not understand.
Solitaire Townsend’s new novel, “Godstorm,” sharpens a lesson that everyone working in sustainability would be wise to heed, writes Trellis Chairman Joel Makower: Effective climate communication comes from powerful narratives.
The most powerful stories are not about issues, Townsend said in conversation with Makower on the latest episode of the Two Steps Forward podcast. They’re not about systems, trends, frameworks or even impacts. They’re about people.
We routinely aspire to tell stories when we’re actually merely presenting information, writes Makower: emissions trajectories, regulatory developments, technology roadmaps and so on.
A real story is an emotional journey — someone starts in one place and ends in another, changed by their experience.
If no one changes, if no one struggles, if there’s no conflict or fear or hope or determination, it’s not a story.
Technique
As sustainability professionals we talk endlessly from our heads — science, economics, technology, risk. But the connection to hearts — families, dignity, fear, love, identity — is often treated as optional or manipulative or “too soft” for serious discourse. That’s a mistake.
If we want attention, we must offer something in return — narrative, tension, character, emotion, meaning. That’s true whether you’re doing a Trellis podcast, a board presentation or a client meeting.