Real Climate Action: How to Engage People in Climate Change (FutureLearn)

Give your environmentalism a psychosocial edge

Traditional messaging, systems innovation, and the powerful Quadrant of Engagement tool by psychologist and climate strategist Dr Renee Lertzman are all brought together on this course. The transdisciplinary approach will help you engage others in a whole new way.
Inspire behavioural change for climate change

Over the duration of the course, you’ll discuss why fear tactics are ineffective for facilitating climate action, why an empathic approach is more effective, and how to use the Quadrant of Engagement tool to map out strategies that motivate people to make important behavioural changes.
See Dr Lertzman’s environmentalism first-hand

This course does more than share Dr Lertzman’s message on how you can turn climate anxiety into action. It provides the ideal platform to teach you herself. Supported by the respected European Institute of Innovation Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (EIT Climate-KIC), she’ll show you how to create truly effective engagement campaigns for climate change.
What topics will you cover?

- How presenting facts about climate change or using fear tactics often fail to engage, persuade or facilitate behaviour change

- Why engagement on climate change is far more than a messaging exercise

- The Quadrants of Engagement mapping tool and how it is used to identify where you may have gaps in your current engagement efforts

- The psychosocial aspects of climate change, such as conflicts, denial, ambivalence, and cognitive dissonance, mean we need a more empathetic approach when talking about climate change

- How to plan engagement campaigns that take into account all four Quadrants of Engagement

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- discuss why presenting facts about climate change or using fear tactics often fail to engage, persuade or facilitate behaviour change

- describe why engagement on climate change is far more than a messaging exercise

- apply the Quadrants of Engagement mapping tool to identify where you may have gaps in your current engagement efforts

- explain how psychosocial aspects of climate change, such as conflicts, denial, ambivalence, and cognitive dissonance, mean we need a more empathetic approach when talking about climate change

- create engagement campaigns that take into account all four Quadrants of Engagement.

Who is the course for?

This course was designed for anyone who is tired of feeling anxious and ready to take climate action for real change. It’s perfect for students, entrepreneurs, innovators, and activists alike.