Climate Narrative Strategy: Three Ways to Get Clear on Your Approach

Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is a workers' issue that affects job security, health, and economic stability. Workers in many industries already feel the financial and social impacts but unions have the power to push for policies that protect workers, communities, and future generations.

One of the most effective ways union leaders and members can mobilize support for climate resilient policies, including worker safety and corporate accountability is by developing and implementing a clear, compelling narrative strategy.

Narrative strategies help shape how issues are understood and acted upon and can empower unions to take bold action. A well-developed narrative doesn't just explain the problem; it outlines why it matters to workers and what can be done to build resilience and adapt to climate change.

Please keep reading for three ways to get clear on what your narrative strategy can look like and how to start using it for climate advocacy.

Understand the Core Message: Connect Climate Change to Workers' Lived Experiences

The first step in crafting a powerful narrative is to make your core message clear. For unions, this means framing climate change as an issue that directly affects workers' livelihoods, health, housing, and economic security. It's essential to focus on the tangible, immediate ways climate change impacts workers' daily lives, from job insecurity due to extreme weather events to health risks associated with rising temperatures and pollution.

Grounding your narrative in workers' real experiences creates a more relatable and compelling message that will resonate. Whether it's illustrating the risks to pensions invested in fossil fuels or the dangers of unsafe working conditions in climate-vulnerable industries, make sure your message is focused on how climate change is a workers' rights issue.

Gather stories and data from your members about how climate change is already affecting them, and use these stories as a foundation for your climate narrative.

The key is to avoid abstract terms and connect the climate crisis to the concrete realities workers face. This message should be personalized for your union and the specific industries your members work in, addressing their concerns and challenges.

Identify Your Target Audience and Tailor Your Message

Once you've identified the core message, the next step is to think about who you need to reach. Crafting a narrative that resonates with different audiences (union members, leaders, trustees, the public, etc.) requires a tailored approach. 

For union leaders, understanding how to speak to each of these audiences in a way that aligns with their values and concerns is critical. For union members, emphasize the direct benefits of climate action like green job creation, safe working conditions, and long-term financial security for pensions. For policymakers, focus on how climate-conscious policies can drive economic growth and reduce the financial risks of climate change. For the public, frame the narrative around the importance of workers' rights in the context of climate action, showing solidarity in tackling both climate and economic justice.

Before engaging with any audience, identify their key concerns. What do they care about? How can climate action be framed to align with their values and needs? How can the moment be leveraged to develop leaders, cultivate more advocates, and amplify underrepresented voices?

Incorporate Stories of Collective Power and Solutions

Finally, it's essential to emphasize the role of collective action in addressing climate change. While the challenges are significant, the solutions are within our reach when we work together. Share stories of past successes where unions have driven positive changes, whether in pushing for green jobs, advocating for policies that protect workers, or holding companies accountable for their environmental impact.

Your narrative should not only highlight the problem but also emphasize the solutions that unions are working toward. 

The Path Ahead

For union leaders and members, a clear narrative strategy is essential for framing climate action as a workers' rights issue, connecting the crisis to real-world experiences, and inspiring collective action toward risk mitigation. As unions lead the charge for workers’ rights, a well-crafted narrative can help shape the future of work, ensuring that the needs of workers are met and that an ethical transition to an inclusive economy is a reality. 

For more information on public pension funds' role in climate opportunities and ways to build a resilient retirement plan, explore Organizing to Build Power in the Investing in Our Future Guide.