On April 15, 2025, the Yale Center for Environmental Communication hosted a discussion on the critical role of local leadership in driving climate communication from the ground up. YPCCC Partnerships Director Joshua Low moderated a conversation with Julia Trezona Peek, Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer at the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Stacia Sheputa, Director of Communications and Community Engagement in the Boston Mayor’s Office of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, and Emily Gedeon is the Director of Communications and Engagement for Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.
City and county governments have long been at the forefront of climate action, advancing bold policies and engaging communities despite inconsistent federal leadership. Yet, climate communication has not always been a priority for local staff stretched thin by tight budgets. That is starting to change. Increasingly, local government leaders recognize that climate communication is a vital climate strategy. How do they listen to their communities? How do they frame climate action to resonate across diverse communities? How can behavior change campaigns scale the impact? What strategies help them turn constituent feedback into tangible progress?
Julia discussed the common goals most local governments have for their climate communications. She highlighted best practices including meeting people where they are (literally), talking like a human, how to sell the brownie (not the recipe), and embedding communications from the beginning, not as an afterthought. She provided a handful of illustrative examples from different cities.
Stacia gave an overview of why acting on climate issues on a local level is critical, the tiers of climate action that are important for Boston to communicate with residents and stakeholders, the role of place-based communications, Boston’s history of environmental injustice and how that impacts current communications/engagement strategies, details on Boston residents’ thoughts on climate issues and other priorities, the value of coupling climate stories with other high priorities (health and safety, affordability, workforce development), examples of successful communications channels, and overall suggestions.
Emily focused on how to execute climate communications well as a municipality. In Denver, Emily’s team emphasizes hope and success rather than doom in their climate messaging, encouraging simple, actionable steps from the public. They ensure communications are clear and accessible, using tools like the Hemingway App to keep content at an 8th-grade reading level. Building relationships with community storytellers, they highlight local successes to inspire action. Emily emphasized that tailored messaging for specific audiences is crucial, leveraging research and insights to engage key stakeholders effectively. Finally, she stressed that integrating communications and marketing into the core planning of climate programs ensures broader awareness and participation from the community.