Staying Connected in a Changing Climate

Reflections from Our first Fair Green Future Webinar

Last month, WI members from across England and Wales came together for the first session in our new Fair Green Future webinar series.

In a time of shifting political priorities and rising pressures on people’s daily lives, the Fair Green Future campaign looks at what keeps us together and keeps climate action fair, inclusive, and grounded in community.

Climate change affects us all — but not equally. Women and marginalised groups often face the greatest impacts yet are least heard in the decisions meant to support them. At the same time, some voices are trying to divide the public debate and undermine hard‑won progress.

WI members care deeply about fairness, inclusion and community, which is why the Fair Green Future webinar series is about understanding the issues and building confidence to take action together.

The first webinar brought together expert speakers to explore how we can stay connected, hopeful and active at a time when public debate on climate change can feel increasingly divided.

What the public really thinks about climate and nature

Our first speaker, Rachael Orr, Chief Executive of Climate Outreach, shared findings from Britain Talks Climate and Nature, a major study involving over 7,000 people exploring how people think and feel about climate and nature right now.Despite what the headlines suggest, Rachel’s research confirmed something uplifting:

Britain is a nation of nature lovers

Across communities and political groups, people strongly support action to protect nature — from tree planting to renewable energy. Many want to do more.

People care deeply about climate change — but think others don’t

Most people (around two-thirds) are deeply worried about climate change, and three-quarters think climate is important, even though they may not talk about it as much as before. They also care about and feel proud of clean energy. People also underestimate how widespread that concern is among others. Many also feel overwhelmed, leading them to avoid the conversation.

Trust is collapsing, and people see climate policy through this lens

Low trust in politics and institutions shape how people react to climate messages and some groups are getting harder to engage on climate. Many are finding things, such as paying bills, harder and may feel more sceptic and let down about the green transition and new technologies (like EVs or heat pumps) as they feel that they won’t be able to afford it and that it’s imposed on them. Still, only few people think that scrapping plans to tackle climate change will save them money.

Climate action has an “image problem”, but it’s fixable

There is also a lack of trust in activism and protest groups, which sometimes make it harder for environmental messages to come through. People are also often sceptic of statistics.

People respond far better to:

messages around protecting the environment, investing in a more prosperous society and a better future for everybody
foregrounding people’s care for nature
talking about the progress that’s already being made
connecting net zero to what it’s for and what it does
tangible local stories and examples

Rachael emphasised that the vast majority of the public does support climate action, but they need hope, practical examples and trusted messengers.

And who are the most trusted messengers? People within their own communities. People like WI members who connect the passion for addressing climate change nationally and globally to making that meaningful in communities and for people's lives.

Why fairness matters

Next, Mike Childs, Head of Science, Policy and Research at Friends of the Earth, explored the central role of fairness in climate policy.

Mike shared findings from the organisation’s report The Fairness Test, which argues that climate solutions will only succeed if they are fair and seen to be fair.

This means that policymakers need to look at what the impact of policies is on groups such as people with low incomes, women, minoritised ethnic communities and disabled people, but also future generations.

One example of this is decarbonising the transport sector. While the promoting the switch to electric vehicles would be an important step for this, a fair approach would be to recognise that lots of people don’t drive, and consider better bus services as well. Another is the need to bear in mind the cost, and need for support, with expensive change such as replacing gas boilers.

He highlighted that fairness is not just a moral principle, but essential for maintaining public support. In a time of rising living costs, people need to see how climate action:

lowers energy bills
improves public transport
creates warm homes
supports farmers and workers
builds thriving, resilient communities

Mike also emphasised the need to have conversations about fairness and what matters to communities. He shared examples of how Friends of the Earth groups are engaging communities ahead of local elections, for instance using simple “jam jar voting” stalls where residents choose local priorities, and developing “Charters for Hope” based on this to take to councillors.

The power of stories

Our final speaker was Lucy Holdaway, Director of the Local Storytelling Exchange, a team of place-based multimedia journalists and public engagement experts who work to find stories of climate and nature action and show people what climate action looks like.

Lucy highlighted that the media environment has become increasingly negative, with climate issues often framed as costly, divisive or overwhelming. But in communities across the UK, the reality is very different and far more hopeful.

She also pointed out that even though support for climate is high, lack of knowledge about concrete solutions, different opinions and misinformation can create space for conflict.

Lucy also shared the “wedge” model, which shows how arguing with someone about something often might make us defensive and grow the wedge between us. This can be applied to climate change, and trying to use facts can often deepen divisions. She maintained however that telling stories that resonate with people’s lives offer us a chance to create shared ground and start minimising the wedge.

Learn more about our work on talking about climate in this blog from Larger Us.

Her team works with local journalists to shine a light on:

community-owned renewable energy projects
sports clubs adapting to flooding
faith groups taking action
families insulating their homes
farmers finding solutions

These stories put people, not politics, at the centre, showing practical action rather than arguments.

Why storytelling matters for Fair Green Future

When we encounter negativity or misinformation online, it can be tempting to reply with facts and corrections. But as we heard in the webinar, directly arguing can unintentionally boost it, especially on platforms like Facebook, where conflict gets more visibility.

A more effective approach is to shift the focus. Instead of battling unhelpful claims, we can share different stories: stories that draw people back toward common ground and show what climate action really looks like in everyday life.

Stories can:

counter misinformation
reduce division
build common ground
inspire hope
show that climate action is happening right now, locally

For WI members, this is a powerful reminder that the stories we tell — in meetings, newsletters, conversations with friends, local press, or on social media — help shape how people think and feel about climate and nature. By sharing positive, people‑focused examples, we can make Fair Green Future feel real, local and possible.

What’s next?

The webinar perfectly captured the heart of the Fair Green Future campaign. Climate solutions must work for everyone and feel fair, especially those most affected. A key part of this is listening to communities and sharing their stories.

As the campaign continues, these ideas will guide how we listen, how we talk, and how we work together in our communities.

Our next webinar takes place on Friday 20 March, where we will explore:

how WIs can strengthen community action
what we can do locally during the May 2026 elections
how to engage newly elected representatives
more tools for building a fair, inclusive climate future