Solar

The four pillars of effective clean energy messaging

The four pillars of effective clean energy messaging
David Buskirk, electrical supervisor at the High Lonesome wind farm (during construction), Texas. The photo was taken in August 2019. (Courtesy: Enel)

Contributed by Dave Bates, President and founder, Hailstone Communications

The failures of traditional messaging around the climate crisis have contributed to hyper-polarization of the issue in the U.S., resulting in an inability to achieve the scale of policy change that is urgently needed. It is imperative that advocates for clean energy do not make the same mistakes. To avoid the messaging pitfalls of the past, effective clean energy framing must center on four key pillars, grounded in basic moral values, that resonate across party lines and throughout all regions of the country. 

For decades, the climate movement has articulated a narrative that strongly appeals to the already-converted on the left of the ideological spectrum. But it has drastically alienated many Republican and independent voters, who together comprise the vast majority of the American electorate. One of the biggest defects of conventional climate messaging has been an emphasis on the far-off effects of the crisis, such as melting ice caps and suffering polar bears, which are removed from people’s everyday concerns. There has also been a call for collective sacrifice by ordinary people, rather than highlighting systemic solutions and their attendant societal benefits, such as job creation.

SAVE THE DATE! The next edition of the GridTECH Connect Forum will be held in Orlando, Florida on February 26, 2024. We’re bringing together developers, utilities, and regulators to take on the critical issue of DER interconnection in the Southeast. Register to secure your seat today.

This flawed approach has inadvertently reinforced a multi-million dollar public relations war by the oil and gas industry, which has eagerly promoted a false climate vs. jobs dichotomy. Communications promoting clean energy must pursue a completely different direction that directly appeals to the interests, identities and values of the majority of Americans in both rural and urban regions.

Those values are:

Prosperity

The American middle class has been shrinking, battered by seismic changes in the global economy, trade policy, economic inequality, and recent inflation. So it’s no wonder that the economy consistently ranks as the number one priority for voters in public opinion polling. Knowing this, it’s absolutely crucial to show how the clean energy transition will create millions of good jobs and offer more affordable power for working people. There must be a clear, consistent emphasis on economic opportunity and growth to rebuild a strong, inclusive middle class. 

Freedom

Clean energy is about freedom, and needs to be presented in that context at every opportunity. Freedom is an aspirational core value that is central to America’s self-conception and identity. There are many ways to connect the value of freedom to clean energy. For instance, individuals, communities, and businesses should have the freedom to produce their own power, and sell their excess energy back to the grid. 

Health

Although Republican voters tend to be averse to messaging around climate, the vast majority support policies to protect clean air and water. Rather than concentrating on the need to cut carbon dioxide, which requires a somewhat involved explanation of how heat-trapping gases lead to climate disruption, greater attention should be placed on how renewables eliminate toxic pollution that is poisoning families and communities. Clean energy means a healthy future for our children.  

Security

As many military leaders have repeatedly pointed out, the clean energy transition is critical to national security. Dependence on foreign oil makes the U.S. vulnerable, draws the country into wars over resources, and props up petro-dictators. The transition to American-made clean power will make the country safer and more secure.

All clean energy messaging should be built on the foundation of these four moral pillars. But just as important as the message is the messenger. Traditionally, the climate movement has often relied on scientists as key spokespeople in the misguided belief that if people are just presented with empirical facts, they will change their minds. However, for better or worse, American culture has a deep-seated skepticism of experts and rational argumentation is often ineffective. Research studies show that people give much more weight to information when it comes from a source they identify with, relate to, and trust. 

It is essential to foreground spokespeople – especially clean energy workers, military leaders, engineers, and entrepreneurs – whose voices will be deemed credible by moderates and conservatives. Imagine thousands of clean energy workers donning hard hats and marching in state capitals and Washington, D.C., demanding massive government investment in renewable manufacturing, construction, and job training to revitalize economically struggling American communities. That would look very different from the climate actions of the past and could create the raw political power and will to break the policy logjam. 

There’s no time to waste. As recent record-breaking heat, wildfires, droughts, and storms have terrifyingly shown, the very future of humanity is at stake. Clean energy messaging must be firmly rooted in basic values that appeal to the broadest spectrum of voters – and then coupled with action – to vastly accelerate the transition to a renewable economy.

About the author

Dave Bates is president and founder of Hailstone Communications, a public relations agency focused on promoting clean energy and social change.