#PledgeForOurFuture

Green Hack: influencing friends, family and wider society

Have a conversation about climate change with someone you know

#PledgeForOurFuture

Why should I talk to friends, family or strangers about climate change?

From Talk Climate Change:
"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. Yet many people never talk about it, let alone have the opportunity to discuss how they feel and have their voices heard by others. That needs to change."
"We need to push governments, businesses, financial institutions and other key actors to take climate action, and public opinion plays a key role in making this happen."

Talking to anyone, whether that be friends, family or your taxi driver, about climate change can make a difference. You have the power to make people think about important issues and question their own practices. Having a conversation about climate change can also serve as good personal education and can expose you to viewpoints and concerns you might not have considered beforehand.

Talk Climate Change has a goal of reaching 26,000 climate conversations before COP26 this year - to get involved, upload a brief description of your climate conversation on their website talkclimatechange.org.

When did you last have a climate conversation? Tag us in your best recent discussions with the hashtag #GreenHacks for a chance to be featured on our social media!

Why is it important to influence friends, family and wider society when it comes to the planet?

Although there are many things we as individuals can do to change our relationship with the planet, our impact can be scaled up massively through influencing others. Each of us are parts of a wider whole: this may include our place as an employee, a resident in the local community, a citizen of our town or constituency, a member of our family and friendship circles, a customer to those we buy goods and services from, and a supporter of a political party.

Through the Green Hacks featured in this category, you can communicate your desire for positive change to others and create widespread change. It might be as simple as sharing some of the #GreenHacks on our page with friends on social media, or changing some of the harmful practices your employers or employers use in their work. By influencing others, positive change can ripple through a community or organisation, creating long lasting change that makes a great difference for nature.