Climate change policies are influenced and at times obstructed by public relations firms.
In a groundbreaking study published this week in the scientific journal Climatic Change, researchers from Brown University have shed light on the significant role that large public relations (PR) firms play in the climate change policy debate.
The research underscores the complex interplay between businesses, consumers, climate change discourse, and climate policy. PR firms, it seems, are not just responding to the climate change discourse but are actively reshaping it.
Large PR firms, such as Edelman, which serves both Shell, a major fossil fuel company, and the UN climate conference (COP30), are influencing the climate policy debate in ways that raise concerns about conflict of interest and the potential to spin or soften climate crisis messaging.
Compared to scientific findings, which overwhelmingly support urgent, evidence-based action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, PR firms linked to fossil fuel interests often produce or promote narratives that downplay or create doubt about the severity or causes of climate change.
A key tactic used by PR firms and fossil fuel interest groups is to amplify a small number of climate contrarians, creating a false impression of scientific debate where there is near-unanimous consensus among climate scientists. This strategy confuses public understanding and policy discussions, hindering climate action based on robust scientific findings.
On the other hand, PR firms are also addressing consumer demands for immediate action on climate change. Brands are discussing their approaches to addressing climate change, and the PR strategies employed by these firms could potentially impact the effectiveness of climate change mitigation efforts.
The research adds to the ongoing discussion about the role of businesses in addressing climate change and highlights the influence of PR agencies in the marketing industry. The PR firms' actions may influence the public's perception of brands' commitment to addressing climate change.
In summary, large PR firms connected to fossil fuel clients influence climate policy debate by managing narratives that may soften or obscure the scientific consensus, often amplifying doubt and delaying policy action. This dynamic shapes public discourse and policy in ways that can obstruct effective responses to climate change.
[1] Smith, A. (2022). PR Firms and Climate Change: A New Frontier in the Battle for Public Opinion. The Guardian. [2] Oreskes, N. (2010). Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. Bloomsbury Publishing. [3] McCright, A. M., & Dunlap, R. E. (2011). The political mobilization of climate change counter-movement organizations in the United States. Global Environmental Change, 21(3), 713-722.
- The study published in Climatic Change reveals that PR firms, such as Edelman, are not just passive participants in the climate change policy debate, but they actively shape environmental-science narratives, often on behalf of fossil fuel companies like Shell.
- The findings suggest that PR firms' financial ties to businesses could potentially jeopardize the credibility of climate-change messaging, as they often produce or promote narratives that downplay the severity of the crisis, confounding both public and policy discussions in the business sector.
