Issue: From Webinar

How did the alliance behind the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) move a visionary idea from concept to groundbreaking reality? In this webinar, the Climate Advocacy Lab was joined in conversation with members of the PCEF Steering Committee for an “under the hood” look at the campaign’s insights, challenges, and lessons learned –– also captured in a new, interview-based report that captures the “anatomy” of the campaign. This campaign secured a landslide ballot measure victory in Portland in November 2018, establishing a multi-million dollar municipal fund that will address climate, economic, and racial justice by providing funding for renewable energy projects, job training and apprenticeship programs, and regenerative agriculture.

Research confirms that humans are story-based creatures. We live in narrative contexts, and information presented in narrative form often has a deeper, longer-lasting impact on our understanding and behavior. But is the climate advocacy community doing enough to leverage our best storytelling media to connect to and activate new (and existing) audiences? And for members of the creative community, how can we ensure our work will result in meaningful social impact? Join the teams from this Lab and the Climate Story Lab team (a project of Exposure Labs and Doc Society) with three creatives working in film, virtual reality, and digital media, for a webinar exploring how to effectively tie together critical climate stories and real social impact.

This conversation highlights findings from two reports focused on how the climate advocacy community can support equitable climate resilience (the ability of communities to adapt and thrive in the face of impacts from climate change) in climate policies and programs, as advocates nationwide are pushed to think beyond a frame of “simply” climate mitigation: Making Equity Real in Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Policies and Programs: A Guidebook and Mapping Resilience: A Blueprint for Thriving in the Face of Climate Disasters.

Have you ever heard the old(ish) adage, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast?” For well-designed campaigns, it need not be an “either/or.” This webinar explored ideas around cultural strategy: what it is; how it dovetails with strengthening narrative capacity; and how organizations can integrate cultural elements into their campaign work.