Local Government Communications

The report argues that communication is a critical climate solution that must be integrated into the budgeting and design of all local government programs. It outlines six key strategies for effective communication: investing in dedicated funding, conducting audience research, prioritizing climate justice and equity, leveraging social norms and storytelling to reduce psychological distance, utilizing trusted community messengers, and employing diverse communication channels. The document emphasizes that local governments are uniquely positioned to drive action because a majority of Americans want their local officials to address climate change.

• Local governments should treat communication as a standard procedure by integrating it into the budget and process of every program from the beginning to ensure stable funding and sustained strategy.
• Effective communication requires deep audience research to understand beliefs, attitudes, and preferred information channels, as different groups may respond better to cost-of-living or health frames rather than environmental ones.
• To advance climate justice and equity, governments should prioritize vulnerable populations, including BIPOC and disabled communities, by using multilingual designs, accessibility tools like screen readers, and ensuring content is written at an eighth-grade reading level.
• Communicators can leverage social norms to drive action, as many Americans are unaware that a majority of their peers support climate action; sharing stories of local role models can make these norms visible.
• To overcome 'psychological distance'—the perception that climate change is far away in time or space—local governments should use storytelling and education to show how climate change is already affecting the local community.
• The choice of messenger is critical; people trust those similar to them, meaning local governments should partner with trusted community liaisons such as faith leaders, doctors, nurses, and business leaders.
• Local governments should use a layered approach to communication channels, combining traditional media (newspapers, TV) with social media (TikTok) and interpersonal networks to reach diverse age groups and demographics.

APA

Richards, E. (2026). Local Government Communications. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/news-events/local-government-communications/

Chicago

Richards, Emily. Local Government Communications. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 2026. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/news-events/local-government-communications/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Richards |first1=Emily |title=Local Government Communications |publisher=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |date=23 July 2026 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/news-events/local-government-communications/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{richards2026local, author = {Richards, Emily}, title = {{Local Government Communications}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2026}, month = jul, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/news-events/local-government-communications/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }