How to Talk About Climate Change so People will Listen.
The 51 Percent Project identifies confirmed principles of climate communication from the experts. Sarah Finnie launched the initiative in 2019 to explore best practices for normalizing the clean-energy transition that is urgently recommended by the world’s leading scientists, economists, academic leaders, insurers, and policy-makers.
Finnie’s approach targets people who are concerned about climate change and want to do something about it. The 51 Percent Project is named for this majority of Americans. Activated, informed, and encouraged, this critical segment can galvanize enthusiastic support for solutions at the speed and scope required.
Building on a career in mainstream media, Finnie created The 51 Percent Project as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University. She is affiliated at BU’s Impact Measurement & Allocation Program (IMAP), which aims to develop and disseminate ESG metrics that better reflect and communicate the social and environmental impact of businesses; and the BU URBAN program, which was established as a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) grant to prepare Ph.D. students to tackle urban environmental challenges. In 2022-2023 she co-led a multidisciplinary team conducting “Climate Lies” research on Disinformation about Climate Change: examining misleading content strategies, spread, and impacts; as well as strategies for neutralizing this content. She serves on the advisory boards of the Planetary Health Alliance at Johns Hopkins, ecoAmerica, Boston Harbor Now, and the New York/Connecticut Audubon Society.
12 Principles for Climate Change Communication:
