Background
In recent years, interest in sustainable development with its many interconnected ecological, social, and economic dimensions has grown significantly within the cultural sector. Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important in cultural funding, with applicants frequently being asked to incorporate environmentally and climate-friendly approaches into their project planning and implementation.
To support applicants in meeting these additional requirements, the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, the Goethe-Institut, Impuls neue Musik, inm / field notes, Musikfonds, ON Cologne, the Akademie der Künste Berlin, and Art Music Denmark have come together to offer a series of workshops aimed at building competencies in the field of sustainable development.
This text is a written summary of the workshop »Motivating Action with the Climate Handprint« by Julia Siewert, Senior Manager at KlimAktiv.
Further documentation from the workshop series on sustainability can be found here.
Climate Communication
Why is climate communication so difficult? Society is undergoing a massive transformation in response to climate change. People and groups are at very different points along this path: some cling to the old ways, others are still searching for direction, while others already have a clear vision – or have even reached their goal. As a result, no single communication strategy can be universally applied.
Key pillars of effective climate communication:
- Focus on a specific topic rather than trying to address everything at once—e.g., wind energy or sustainable mobility models.
- Inform yourself in advance using reliable sources (e.g., climate science institutes).
- Understand the key facts about your chosen topic.
- Be prepared to confront myths or conspiracy theories so that they can be identified and corrected.
Prerequisites for successful climate communication:
- Who needs to be addressed to achieve the desired change? Consider which target group can actually make a difference, and what concrete actions are possible for them. Be honest with yourself: is this group even willing to receive the message? Without openness to dialogue, efforts may be in vain.
- How can the target group be reached?
Start by listening to understand them: What are their pain points? What matters to them? What language do they use? Which communication channels do they prefer? Whom do they trust? Your language, imagery, and examples must match the audience. Storytelling can be powerful—but only if the story fits the audience. The goal is to convey a sense of possibility, not paralysis. - Present solutions.
Offer visions that are realistic and relatable. Address the fears, needs, and desires of the target group. Showcase real-life success stories and highlight additional positive impacts of specific actions. Emphasize that this is not a hero’s journey, but a collective effort. - Maintain your own sense of positivity.
Engaging with climate change and its consequences can be emotionally demanding. It’s important to allow space for grief while also developing a personal, realistic vision for the future. Reminding yourself of past successes can also help maintain motivation and resilience.
The Climate Handprint as a Communication Tool
- While the carbon footprint measures negative impact—something that can rarely be reduced to zero—the Climate Handprint illustrates individual and collective capacity for action.
- The Climate Handprint includes both avoided emissions through controllable personal choices (e.g., sustainable mobility, plant-based diets), and indirect effects such as shifts in audience perception. These may be triggered by openly addressing climate change, highlighting challenges, and presenting potential solutions.
- The Climate Handprint is only partially measurable: for example, CO₂ savings from artists’ sustainable travel choices can be calculated, while motivation to act cannot. However, such motivation can be incredibly powerful. A prominent example is the climate policy shift initiated by the Fridays for Future movement.
