Climate Change and Environment

Conversations about climate change and our environment can’t wait, but they must be navigated carefully. The right frames avoid dead-end debates and despair.

The right frame can take climate change out of the boxing ring and into the public square.

Metaphors help translate science and reach a broad audience. For example, “heat-trapping gas” is more accessible and effective than “greenhouse gas.”

FrameWorks’ unique approach to science translation has shaped this strategy, which tens of millions of Americans have heard and seen over the past two decades.

Explore how to frame a wide range of environmental issues.

Featured Work

External article

Entering Climate Change Communications Through the Side Door

Advocates can make progress on polarized issues by finding new ways into engaging people in different perspectives, rather than trying to knock down the front door with a barrage of facts.

Report

Communicating about Climate Change in the time of COVID-19

As climate communicators, we have a long-standing, deep appreciation for a concept that the pandemic has brought into sharp relief: interconnection. This moment calls us to lift up our values,...

Report

Reframing the Ocean: A FrameWorks Guide

This communication guide outlines how to talk about the ocean to improve public understanding and increase support for solutions. Based on comprehensive research with the UK public, it reveals a...

All work

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Publication

Words That Change Minds

This feature article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy profiled the FrameWorks Institute and the way our work helps nonprofit communicators drive social change.

Report

Turning the Tide: Findings from Reframing Research on Ocean Health & Marine Conservation in the United Kingdom

This report outlines the findings of a series of investigations aimed at identifying framing tools and techniques that can shift public thinking and discussions. It reveals and reviews the...

Report

Getting Below the Surface: Mapping the Gaps between Expert and Public Understandings of the Ocean and Marine Conservation in the United Kingdom

This study explores expert and the UK public views of the ocean and marine conservation and “maps the gaps” between them.

Report

Expanding Our Repertoire: Why and How to Get Collective Climate Solutions in the Frame

When climate communications focus only on problems, people tune out - or freak out. Talking about collective climate solutions can spark engagement.

Frame Testing Recommendations

Infographic: How can your climate communications be clearer and more effective?

This infographic offers top takeaways from FrameWorks' tested techniques for translating climate science for the public.

Report

“O Clima Está Quente, Né?”: Justaposições E Distanciamentos Entre Público e Especialistas Brasileiros Sobre As Mudanças Climáticas

This report lays the groundwork to reframe the public debate on climate change by comparing how experts and the public in Brazil talk about climate change.

Report

How to Talk about Climate Change and the Ocean: Prepared for the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation with Support from the National Science Foundation

This MessageMemo synthesizes multiple studies and outlines a communications strategy for building public understanding of climate change and its effects.

Report

Nature Doesn’t Pay My Bills: Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Urban Nature and Health

This report compares and contrasts the different ways experts and everyday Americans think about nature, urban life and human wellbeing.

Toolkit

Building Understanding of Environmental Health

This toolkit is designed to help environmental health professionals to frame environmental health and related issues as important policy fields and matters of public concern.

Report

The Value of Explanation: Using Values and Causal Explanations to Reframe Climate and Ocean Change

This report details the results of a survey of U.S. voters that explores the extent to which values-based messages affect attitudes about climate change.

Report

We Need a Ground Crew for Environmental Health Working Upstream: Using Explanatory Metaphors to Improve Public Understanding of Environmental Health and its Workforce

People believe we should live free from health threats in their environments - but lack ways to think about the work that takes. Two metaphors can help.

Report

Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Using Metaphorical and Causal Explanation to Increase Public Understanding of Climate and Ocean Change

How can we help people understand the science that connects climate change to extreme weather - and to human health? New, tested metaphors can help.