Put yourself in the shoes of a community member listening to discourse on net zero and climate change discussions
Calls for “scaling renewables”, “zonal energy pricing” and “decarbonise our energy system” often take centre stage. But what do these terms really mean? Often, community members can leave discussions with professionals, experts or policymakers feeling confused, frustrated and excluded.
And think about remote and rural communities in Scotland, in the Highlands, who are having multiple developers with multiple projects taking place across the region. The impact is even greater.
Make messages understandable
The language we use in our communications needs to resonate well with the community our audience resides within. Presenting information in simple and understandable ways by removing any jargon is an important, but often overlooked, aspect of communication.
As the need for our journey to net zero becomes ever more pressing, and as the transition impacts the delivery of power to our homes, our travel, and our jobs, communities remain a central part of the process. So, if they can’t understand our communications, how can they actively take part in shaping the transition for a better future?
This highlights an opportunity for how we can bridge the gap between policy and public understanding of the net zero narrative.
Your words matter
Acronyms are prominent throughout energy projects, from “EIA” (Environmental Impact Assessment) and “PAC” (Pre-Application Consultation) to “AoCM” (Adequacy of Consultation Milestone). For those not involved in the intricacies of industry and policy, this creates a barrier to their understanding. Additionally, words and phrases like “decarbonisation” or “non-statutory consultation” can leave people feeling confused and, with continued use, can make people feel ignored. Contributions from developers can be dismissed as noise and labelled as disconnected from reality. To build consent for renewables, you need to understand what people and politicians want from you.
Language does not exist only to bring style to communication; it also helps shape how people react. Whether they assign urgency, relevance, support or objection to projects depends upon how a project is communicated and understood.
For infrastructure projects at the heart of communities, the consideration of language in communication should be a priority. Communities are the invisible infrastructure – they are just as essential to projects as the turbine, solar panels, or transmission lines themselves.
Overlooked communities
Communities differ, as do their levels of interest in – and their opinions on – infrastructure projects. The gap in understanding is most prominently felt by communities that often feel excluded from decision-making processes. For instance, low-income households, ethnic minority communities, and rural communities rarely take centre stage as a collective to share their opinion on the transition to net zero. As an example, in rural Scotland, people often feel a passionate connection to place and pride in their community and its identity. So, overlooking their voices risks weakening trust in projects that directly affect their landscapes and livelihoods.
Everyone should be included in the process of transitioning to net zero, so that a variety of voices, understandings, and experiences can be considered.
Take, for instance, an onshore wind campaign highlighting “utility-scale wind deployment to accelerate decarbonisation”. This does not resonate with normal people. Reframing it to “clean energy generation with the introduction of local jobs and community benefit” connects more deeply to the needs of a community and is more likely to create a positive response to a project.
Failure to consider language when engaging with communities risks poor participation and support. By making small changes to use inclusive language, we can help build better relationships rooted in clarity, empathy, and listening.
4 tips for better communication
Help to underpin the shift from exclusive to inclusive language:
1. Use lived experience, not jargon
Rather than “heat pump”, consider saying: “a cheaper and cleaner way to keep your home warm”.
2. Focus on collaboration and benefits
Communities care about health, jobs, education and their environment. Understand how you can positively influence these to support the community. This can be done through creative methods.
3. Value storytelling, not figures
Examples of communities that have already benefitted from your project are more powerful than suggesting that a specific amount of money may be available.
4. Foster positive language
Using language like “we can” or “our communities” aligns you with the community and helps to overcome alienating narratives.
For rural Scottish communities, good communication means recognising these four points simultaneously. The pride people have in their heritage, local resilience and neighbourly connections is prominent in rural communities. So, using language and techniques that acknowledge this sense of place and civic pride can help to transform conversations from technical debates into shared visions for the future.
Focus on putting the human element of communication before the technical components that often overtake it.
Language helps build trust
When climate-supporting projects enter communities, developers often ask the community to trust them in their contributions to achieving net zero. Trust needs to be earned. Communities must be able to trust developers to have a positive impact on their area. You won’t establish trust if people feel excluded or spoken down to.
Technical improvements alone won’t help us reach net zero; we need support from people. To achieve this, we need to meet communities where they are in their understanding and communicate projects in ways everyone understands.
For remote and rural communities, in Scotland, belonging and pride in place are central to daily life. This means that trust grows when people feel their identity and contribution are valued as much as the technology itself.
The energy transition belongs to everyone, but only if they can understand it.
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If you’d like to discuss how we can use language and effective public consultation practices to connect with communities for your project, get in touch with Laura Sutherland