Much like the climate, communications around climate transition rarely stays still. There are new rules, new regulations and new guidance. The status quo is constantly changing.
Effective communication requires staying on top of these developments: changing policies, methodologies, scientific evidence and media analysis.
It’s a challenge that we understand deeply at Cognito. We’ve now spent more than a decade working with some of the most innovative companies involved in the climate transition. Our expertise spans innovative carbon startups and also shows how leading names in technology and finance are helping create a new, green future.
We now appear to be at a particularly consequential crossroads.
Here in the United Kingdom, we’ve just entered election season. The major parties have markedly different policies around climate and energy transition. The Labour Party promises the creation of “Great British Energy” while the Conservatives have loosened several mandates while pledging on overall commitment to Net Zero targets.
Meanwhile investment funds must navigate an increasingly powerful backlash around green investing. EU Parliamentary and American congressional elections this year could strengthen the hand of people who want to remove ESG criteria from investing processes. Individual corporations face challenges from activist investors on both the “pro” and “con” side of green investing.
Carbon credits are much discussed. Are they a tool of greenwashing or a foundational piece of the energy transition? Governments around the world are increasingly needing a diverse mix of climate finance solutions – across blended finance, carbon finance, multilateral and private markets – to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Public opinion is swayed by an ever-shifting stakeholder ecosystem. NGOs, academic institutions, and non-profits consistently push out content and opinions. Regulations such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) and the EU Taxonomy on Green Finance are well along the road to implementation.
Communicating through change
These developments create a perfect storm of opportunity and discourse, debates and diatribes. As a communications agency we’ve been part of many of the big moments. We have scaled the way we operate and evolved our offering while keeping focused on our mantra as an agency: to constantly think about what’s next, true specialists about complex and competitive markets and subject matter, and drive authentic, clear and distinguishable communications for our clients.
We’ve recently seen industry recognition in our movement from #15 to #7 in the PR Week Rankings for the top 150 specialist communications agencies in ESG. Over the past 12 months, our business has diversified and grown. We have worked with leading nonprofits in carbon markets and climate action more broadly, leading technology businesses developing ESG solutions, climate action advisory firms, pioneering lenders for green finance and investment houses with distinct ESG investment strategies.
We look forward to continuing our work, expanding our focus, and remaining relevant in the months ahead. With a challenging outlook for climate action, it will be more essential than ever.
Charlie Morrow is Cognito’s Global Head of Sustainability
