Despite ambitious climate plans and real progress on the ground, European cities face a common challenge: effectively communicating their work to citizens. From poorly attended town halls to surveys showing limited public awareness, municipalities are eager to develop better ways to connect climate policies to people’s daily lives, demonstrate tangible benefits, and design more inclusive approaches that reflect community priorities.
Cities across Europe are leading the transition to climate neutrality, but to turn ambitious policies into real change, they must engage residents in meaningful ways, showing them how climate actions improve daily life and inviting them to take part in the transition. Communicating climate action effectively is not just about raising awareness, but also about improving public understanding, building trust, and mobilising action.
Simply introducing climate measures is not enough. To gain popular support, the people they affect need to see how these policies benefit them, whether that’s through better mobility, cleaner air, or lower costs.
To tackle these challenges and learn how to build stronger narratives around climate policies, NetZeroCities recently brought over 40 city representatives together in a workshop on “Shifting climate change narratives: how to talk about climate policies” to share some of the best practices on how cities can do this.
Talking the talk on climate policies
Despite the urgency of the climate crisis, cities still struggle to engage people effectively. Many local governments lack the funding, staff, and expertise to develop strategic, long-term climate communication campaigns. This means messages often remain fragmented or reactive, rather than proactive and sustained.
At the same time, climate scepticism is evolving. While outright climate change denial has declined, cities increasingly encounter scepticism towards climate solutions—people may believe that individual efforts are insignificant or that climate policies will negatively impact their jobs or financial security. Others experience climate fatigue, feeling overwhelmed by negative messaging and disengaging from the conversation altogether.
One of the biggest communication pitfalls is framing climate action as a burden rather than an opportunity. Research and experience show that most people won’t change their behaviour solely for environmental reasons. Instead, they are more likely to respond when policies are framed around co-benefits such as cleaner air, lower energy bills, safer streets, or more attractive neighbourhoods.
Beyond messaging, another key challenge is reaching diverse and marginalised communities. Many climate campaigns unintentionally target the same audiences, who may already be aware and interested in climate initiatives. Older populations, lower-income residents, and communities that feel excluded from the green transition often don’t see their interests reflected in climate policies. This lack of inclusion can fuel resistance to change, particularly for measures like pedestrianisation or energy renovations.
Oslo: Empowering young people through climate storytelling
Oslo’s Climate Pilots programme supports university students to deliver engaging climate talks in schools, using personal stories to make issues feel real and relatable. Instead of focusing solely on climate impacts, they highlight practical solutions, like reducing waste and smart consumption choices, that young people can act on.
Since 2019, the programme has reached thousands of students, with over 90% of teachers recommending it.
“Positive, solution-driven messages perform better than negative ones,” says Julie Marie Følstad, advisor at the Climate Agency in Oslo. “Young people want to know what they can do, not just hear about the problem.”
Helsinki: Making climate action about cost saving
Helsinki’s energy renovation campaign targeted housing companies with a simple message: save money while saving energy. Instead of focusing on emissions, the campaign highlighted financial benefits and featured real residents who had already cut costs through renovations.
The approach worked. By prioritising cost savings over climate messaging, the city saw increased awareness and numbers of renovations. “People engaged with the campaign because it spoke directly to their needs. Climate benefits were secondary, but they still came,” says Emma Berg, service designer and energy specialist in the City of Helsinki.
Valencia: Building trust through real people
In Valencia, a public energy office campaign faced an unexpected challenge: residents mistook it for a private company and didn’t trust the advice. The solution? With limited resources, they found a simple but effective answer and featured real people in their messaging.
Posters across the city showcased Rafa, a retired resident, and Sara, an energy advisor, with the tagline: “Rafa saved €400 a year thanks to Sara.” The response was immediate. Residents started calling the office asking for Sara by name, eager to learn how they could also cut costs.
By using trusted messengers and focusing on financial savings, the campaign broke down barriers and engaged people who wouldn’t normally seek climate-related advice.
