Communicating Climate

Welcome to Communicating Climate: our award-winning programme that empowers impactful climate campaigns and inspires meaningful action.

Now in its fifth year, Communicating Climate is a six-month strategic communications and campaign training programme designed for organisations working on climate justice, grassroots climate advocacy, and community-focused climate action. This programme will give you the tools and expertise to create and implement powerful campaigns that recognise the climate crisis as a social and political problem as well as an environmental one.

At a time when many environmental organisations are fearful that the second Trump presidency will give oxygen to climate deniers and represent a major setback for coordinated climate action, this programme has never felt more needed. Telling the right story on climate change is an essential part of driving the action that this moment desperately needs. We know that crafting the right message and reaching the right audiences can be challenging, and that it’s not always easy to transform awareness of the climate crisis into a desire for change.

Communicating Climate is here to help!

Apply now

Our Guiding Principles

Climate change affects all of us, but not equally. Marginalised communities, including Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, Disabled people, and working-class and low-income communities are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the climate crisis and are often under–represented in policy discussions.
Simply emphasising the extent of the crisis doesn’t work! Climate communications need to be solutions focused and emphasise that change is achievable. Focusing solely on doom and gloom leads people to disengage. Good climate communications balances urgency with agency.
Most of us want to see action to revive our planet and secure a healthy future. We need climate communications that normalise action and change.
We need to focus on the big picture. Meaningful climate action must address systemic issues. This means redesigning our economy and industries, rather than focusing on individual behaviour change.

We are looking for 20 UK-based organisations to take part in this free six-month programme, which kicks off in May 2025.

Designed specifically for small to medium-sized organisations, the programme is funded by leading media agency MG OMD and has been developed with the support of an Advisory Group made up of leading media organisations, environmental charities, and climate communication experts.

Meet our Advisory Group

This year’s Communicating Climate programme will prioritise applications from grassroots organisations campaigning for climate justice, mobilising communities to tackle the root causes of the climate crisis and supporting under-represented voices to participate in climate conversations.

Participants will hone skills in framing key messages, developing effective campaigns and working in partnership for impact. MG OMD will provide guidance and support to help participants effectively launch and execute their campaigns.

What you will learn

Over six months, you’ll gain the confidence and skills to create communications that inspire change and galvanise action. The programme is structured around a series of interactive workshops, expert guidance, and collaborative sessions, ensuring you leave with the strategic tools, practical skills and sector relationships needed to make an impact.

Build skills and strategies for campaigning:Hone the art of framing messages, crafting narratives, and using storytelling to spark action and amplify your voice.
Develop impactful climate communications: Learn to navigate the challenges of climate communications and create messages that resonate with your audiences.
Strengthen your campaigns: Discover how to use social media effectively, work with the press, and drive engagement for your cause.
Foster collaboration: Connect with peers across the climate justice movement, building networks and partnerships for ongoing support.
Gain personalised support from industry experts: Work with professionals at MG OMD and their partners to develop creative solutions to your communications challenges.
Learn advocacy and mobilisation techniques: Training will include learning how to engage with policymakers, theory of change development, and effective campaigning strategies to ensure your communications lead to real impact.

By the end of the programme, you’ll have a deep understanding of how to campaign for meaningful change and will be ready to launch communications that mobilise your audiences and have real world impact.

Apply here

[Communicating Climate] has deepened my understanding of communicating the climate crisis and challenged me to think about audiences beyond our current audience. For us to truly drive change, we need to engage with a broader segment of society, so this will be something I'd like to focus on next year.
Participant of Communicating Climate, 2024

Programme overview

The programme will take place between May and October 2025 and will be delivered entirely online.  

A full programme schedule will be shared with participants before the programme starts. 

Wondering if Communicating Climate is right for you?

This programme is for small-to-medium sized organisations addressing climate and environmental justice. It’s perfect for teams that run campaigns, engage in advocacy work, or want to sharpen their communication strategies.

We require one lead contact per organisation who will attend the entire programme; however, the programme is designed to be flexible, allowing different individuals from your organisation to attend sessions along with you.  To apply to the programme as your organisation’s lead contact, you must be responsible for the day-to-day communications at your organisation, even if you have other non-communications-related responsibilities.  

Essential criteria

Operates with a charitable purpose (such as a CIC, CIO, or social enterprise).
Works within the UK and has an annual turnover of £5 million or less.
Either primarily works on climate justice or another issue that intersects with climate justice (like human rights, health, or education).
Has a campaign idea they’d like to develop or improve. This can include advocacy, public engagement, awareness-raising, or mobilisation strategies.

Priority will be given to organisations that meet one or more of the desirable criteria below.

Desirable criteria

Use campaigning, communications or community mobilisation to drive change.
Work with marginalised voices in climate and environmental conversations. These voices include Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, Disabled people, and working-class and low-income communities.
Have basic experience using social media as a communications tool.

We are open to supporting both organisations that are already working in the above fields and those that have an ambition to develop their work in these areas.

We welcome applications from all organisations that meet the essential criteria, but priority will be given to those that also meet the desirable criteria.  

At Media Trust, we strive to ensure that everyone can access our services. If you require a more accessible version of the form, or additional support, please contact Valeriel@mediatrust.org.

Apply here

This programme has given us the confidence to better our communications, by using our existing communication platforms more strategically, and by monitoring and measuring our effectiveness. It has also given us time- and cost-saving tools.
Participant of Communicating Climate, 2023

Join the programme

The prospective participant pack includes more information, a programme timeline, and key dates about the Communicating Climate programme. To benefit fully, you should be able to commit and dedicate the necessary time to attend as many sessions as possible. 

Download the Prospective Participant Pack (1.1MB pdf)

Important dates 

Applications open: 25 February 2025 
Applications close: 9am on 31 March 2025
Programme places offered to selected organisations: By 7 May 2025
Programme begins: 20 May 2025

Find out more at our Q&A webinar (Tuesday 18 March, 13:00-14:00)

Join us for a Q&A session (Tuesday 18 March) if you have any questions about the programme, eligibility, or the application process. Sign up below: 

Our impact so far

Over the past four years, the programme has effectively boosted the confidence, skills and capabilities of 90 organisations working across climate and environmental justice.

Success stories

Impassioning the North East with Communicating Climate

Hope for the Future on Communicating Climate

An award-winning programme

Our partnership with leading media agency MG OMD has received several awards. The first year of our partnership saw 400+ MG OMD volunteers provide pro-bono strategic communications support to our charities, leading to the following awards and nominations: 

Apply here

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an organisation with a charitable purpose? And can I apply to the programme if I'm not a registered charity?

Organisations with a charitable purpose include charities (although you do not have to be a registered charity to apply), Community Interest Companies (CICs), or Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), community groups or social enterprises. We do require a minimum standard of governance to demonstrate the viability and longevity of the organisation. This may include providing two years of management accounts or, if more relevant, a constitution. 

What is considered a small to medium-sized organisation?

At the Media Trust, we consider the size of an organisation based on the following annual turnover:

Micro organisation (with less than £0.5 million turnover)
Small organisation (with £0.5 million – £1 million turnover)
Medium organisation (with £1 million – £5 million turnover)

If you are a micro-organisation, we still encourage you to apply. However, we may ask you additional questions to demonstrate the financial health and future sustainability of your organisation.

What if my organisation's turnover is slightly higher or lower than the desired threshold?

This won’t necessarily exclude you from consideration. The application form will provide an opportunity for you to address this, and we will consider each case individually. However, please note that we cannot accept organisations that greatly exceed the £5 million turnover threshold.

What is the difference between the essential criteria and desirable criteria for the programme?

You can apply to the programme if your organisation meets the following essential criteria:

Operates with a charitable purpose (such as a CIC, CIO, or social enterprise).
Works within the UK and has an annual turnover of £5 million or less.
Primarily works on climate justice or related areas (like human rights, health, or education).
Has a campaign idea they’d like to develop or improve. This can include advocacy, public engagement, awareness-raising, or mobilisation strategies).

The desirable criteria are additional factors that we consider when selecting organisations for the programme. The more desirable criteria your organisation can demonstrate in the application, the higher your chances of securing a place in this year’s Communicating Climate programme.

What do you mean by climate justice?

Climate Justice recognises that the climate crisis disproportionately impacts marginalised communities, including Black and Brown communities, other ethnic minorities, displaced people, global ethnic majorities, Disabled people, working-class communities, and the poorest people in the UK and around the world. It seeks solutions that address the root causes of climate change and, in doing so, simultaneously tackles a broad range of social, racial, and environmental injustices.

Climate Justice also acknowledges the systemic barriers that marginalised communities face in participating in climate conversations and influencing policy decisions. It emphasises the importance of inclusive decision-making processes and ensuring that those most affected by climate change—who have contributed the least to its causes and are the least equipped to adapt—are supported and empowered.

How do you define campaigning?

Campaigning is defined broadly to include advocacy, awareness-raising, fundraising, and mobilisation efforts, beyond just political or policy campaigns.

How do you define a campaign idea?

A campaign idea is a specific initiative your organisation would like to work on throughout the programme. Our goal is for each organisation in the cohort to apply the skills and strategies they learn directly to their campaign. By the end of the programme, you’ll have a fully developed campaign ready to launch. This could be a new idea you’re developing or an existing campaign that hasn’t achieved the desired impact. We’ll ask for details about your campaign in the application form.

Communicating Climate is kindly powered by MG OMD.

Our Corporate Partners

We enjoy outstanding support from the media industry. Our partners include: