Banter 138: 23Sep26 Two-Way Communications, with Andrew Maliphant
engaging local communities in climate action, engaging different audience segments, finding effective ways to tell compelling stories, the need for fun and meaningful engagement
Video Timeline: (min:sec)
00:00 - 15:55 Presentation 15:55 - 61:08 (end) Discussion, Q & A
Presentation:
You are welcome to view/download either of these presentations - the top one is Powerpoint, the bottom one is a .pdf. A markdown (textonly) version is at the bottom of this page
Meeting Summary:
Sep 23, 2026 11:50 AM LondonID: 834 5460 8536
Quick recap
The meeting focused on effective communication strategies for engaging communities in climate action, with Andrew leading a discussion on how to improve outreach and collaboration. Participants shared experiences and challenges in reaching different audiences, emphasizing the importance of tailoring messages to local contexts, focusing on co-benefits like money-saving and well-being, and using relatable stories and events. The group discussed the need for two-way communication, the role of local networks, and the value of reaching people where they already gather, such as festivals and community events. Several members highlighted the importance of addressing people's concerns about cost of living, personal safety, and fairness, rather than relying solely on climate change terminology. The meeting also covered the limited response to a recent survey sent to parish clerks and the potential reasons behind it, as well as the role of organizations like the Great Collaboration in supporting local climate initiatives. Overall, the discussion underscored the necessity of flexible, locally relevant, and engaging communication to foster community involvement in climate action.
Next steps
Andrew
Send Sarah the link to the Local Council Environmental Action Survey and related information.
Re-promote the Local Council Environmental Action Survey through the Climate Emergency Network and the County Associations Chief Officers Network.
Share the link to the Great Collaboration's advice on community action (from the knowledge base) in the chat.
Share his email address in the chat for further contact.
Double-check and fix the links in the survey presentation that were not working.
Feed the discussion points from this meeting into the October meeting with other community climate action organizations.
Graham
Send Dave a list of organizations that offer solar panel and EV charging schemes with no upfront cost.
Look up and share information about the organization (MK Electric Vehicles Limited) that installs EV charging points with no upfront cost.
Sue
Chase up her parish clerk about the survey, as she hadn't heard about it.
Summary
Climate Communication Strategy Discussion
Graham discussed communication strategies for climate action initiatives, emphasizing the importance of engaging different audience segments and finding effective ways to tell compelling stories. He highlighted the need for fun and meaningful engagement to keep volunteers motivated, and suggested considering whether the group should lead communication efforts or identify someone with stronger communication skills. Graham also referenced Climate Outreach's research on different audience segments and the varying levels of engagement with climate issues, noting that a single message won't effectively reach everyone and suggesting the need to tailor communications based on audience preferences and concerns.
Community Climate Engagement Survey Challenges
Andrew discussed challenges in engaging local communities in climate action, noting low response rates to a survey sent to parish councils. He explained the survey was initially sent to parish clerks and members of the Society of Local Council Clerks, with plans to re-promote it through the Climate Emergency Network and County Association Chief Officers Network. Garry raised concerns about whether the survey was reaching the right people, particularly environmental officers, and Andrew confirmed it was currently sent to parish clerks rather than environmental officers directly.
Climate Survey Distribution Concerns
Sarah raised concerns about the circulation of a climate survey to SLC members, noting that she had received no communication about it despite being involved in climate initiatives in Kent. Andrew explained the survey's history, revealing it was distributed to approximately 3,500 parish clerks through SLC and other networks, with the goal of reaching about half of all parishes. He agreed to send the survey link directly to Sarah for further distribution through local networks.
Climate Project Benefits Discussion
Graham suggested adding money-saving benefits and contributions to well-being to Andrew's co-benefits slide, noting that many climate projects also boost community pride. Graham agreed to provide Dave with information about organizations offering solar panel installation without upfront costs, mentioning examples like community interest companies and MK Electric Vehicles Limited. Dave shared his experience simplifying volunteer training messaging by reducing the population breakdown categories from multiple types to three main groups.
Climate Engagement Strategy Discussion
Dave outlined a three-tier approach to climate engagement, categorizing people as climate deniers, committed supporters, and persuadable individuals, with different strategies for each group. He emphasized starting conversations about nature since most people respond positively to this topic and outlined four key steps for individual conversations: opening the door, listening, reflecting shared values, and calling to action. Sue Burton raised concerns about reaching new people rather than just existing participants and highlighted the need for better evaluation of current outreach efforts, while Sue from Battle discussed her efforts to engage community groups and residential homes through friendly, practical approaches to environmental action.
Essex Council Communication Strategy
Stuart advised that when communicating with Essex County Council's new reform leadership, it's best to avoid mentioning net zero, green initiatives, or sustainability, as they are not interested in these topics. Instead, focus on community benefits and visible improvements like fixing potholes. also emphasized the importance of providing feedback to people who engage with environmental initiatives, noting that residents want to know the outcomes of their recycling efforts. Malcolm suggested leveraging public fears during weather emergencies as a way to create climate awareness, while Graham shared information about government funding for community energy projects.
Community Climate Engagement Strategies
The meeting focused on strategies for effective community engagement and communication regarding climate action initiatives. Andrew led the discussion on identifying two-way communication channels, emphasizing the importance of reaching audiences where they already gather, such as local festivals and community events, rather than generic locations like sports centers where people might be too busy to engage. Dave shared insights from EcoAction in Windsor and Maidenhead about the importance of selecting events where people have time to chat, while Graham suggested building programs around people's emergency briefings and highlighted Exmouth's successful use of a mobile tuk-tuk platform for engagement. The group discussed the Great Collaboration's approach to establishing county-wide networks, with Andrew explaining how they started in Herefordshire and expanded to Essex and Norfolk, and inviting others to join similar initiatives in their regions.
Chat:
00:27:42 Sue Burton: Where did survey come from ? Our clerk has not mentioned it
00:32:07 Andrew Maliphant, Great Collaboration Gloucestershire:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=YORqaw0xxEWpZkIynj4AER5OWv3KvgZIqK3oPAsDmfJURVZLWEJOU08wNkRBOE1MS1JGRTJaVE9YQSQlQCN0PWcu
00:40:24 Andrew Maliphant, Great Collaboration Gloucestershire:
https://climateoutreach.org/btc/2025/
00:51:54 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Bembridge:
Sources of solar panel installations without capital outlay:
https://www.sunsave.energy/sunsave-plus
https://www.rest-uk.com/solar-subscription
https://www.sol-teq.co.uk/financing
https://home.utilita.co.uk/solar-utilita-hometree-finance/
https://www.wickes.co.uk/wickes-solar/solar-finance
00:54:07 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Bembridge: The Government has just announced nearly £30 million for "People's Power" community energy projects, as the first stage of a much larger Great British Energy programme aimed specifically at enabling communities to establish and partly own renewable-energy projects. So, scope for communities to apply……..
00:59:10 Sue Burton: Andrew , who is We ?
01:06:57 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Bembridge:
Link to the presentation from Exmouth about communicating, and maintaining interest:
https://wiki.greatcollaboration.uk/knowledgebase/events/banter-sessions-inc-table-of-all-sessions/banter-134-26aug26-exmouth-and-climate-change
01:14:14 Andrew Maliphant, Great Collaboration Gloucestershire:
https://www.placebasedinitiative.co.uk/membership-form
01:21:59 Andrew Maliphant, Great Collaboration Gloucestershire: Andrew.maliphant@greatcollaboration.uk
Markdown version of presentation:
Two-Way Communication
It’s only communication if you get a reply!
We asked: what are the steps to effective communication?
Draft the message
Identify the audience(s)
Choose an appropriate medium
Listen to the responses
Redraft the message(s)
Repeat as necessary!
But where’s the sharing that leads to joint action?
What stories do we want to tell?
A picture is worth a thousand words…
What messages do we wish to share?
The benefits of collective environmental action, including nature recovery
The need for community emergency planning
Specific messages, e.g. around dealing with heatwaves and floods
Boring, boring…?
It’s the way we tell ’em!
Photo of Frank Carson courtesy Ian West/PA Archive
But can there be fun?
Storytelling can change the world
Not everyone has the gift of the gab!
Nor is everyone a wordsmith.
Are we the one to lead on communication?
Is there someone else we know who can do it better?
Perhaps where is the team leader who can bring the skills into a team?
It’s a joint effort, after all.
Taffy Thomas
Which audiences do we wish to reach?
The Seven Different British Segments
Courtesy Climate Outreach (updated since 2024)
How are we going to get our message across to all these people?
And how do they reply??
Strength of feeling is one factor
For Progressive Activists (12%, up from 8%), climate change is one of the most important issues facing the world.
For the disengaged segments, it can feel less urgent day-to-day.
SO:
A single “the sky is falling” message just won’t motivate everyone.
We need to listen to what people feel is important to them, and adjust our messages accordingly.
Co-benefits are therefore as important as net zero.
Not every benefit will be financial.
There are so many co-benefits
Photos courtesy UK Electric Bike Centre, Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank, Repair Cafe
But what is their role?
Photo courtesy Orchard Community Energy
The finite natural pool of volunteers
The Government’s 2025–26 Community and Engagement Survey found 35% of people volunteer at least once a month.
This finding is supported by global estimates from the International Labour Organisation and other sources.
We know greater numbers can come forward in a crisis, such as getting food to the housebound during Covid.
Do we concentrate on the 40% considered generally altruistic — and if so, what does this mean for our approach?
Current environmental survey of parishes
What climate action are they doing?
Can we publicise it on a digital map?
What are their successes?
What extra support would they like?
In three weeks, we’ve had only 23 replies
We’re re-promoting...
DISCUSSION
How do we identify what two-way channels would be best?
Where do our audiences already gather?
How to create a wellspring of messages that keeps delivering?
Can we become partners with our audiences?
Let us go forward together…
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