The urgent need for more strategic communicators in the built environment
Buildings account for double the GHG emissions of cars, aviation, and shipping put together, yet ‘transport decarbonisation’ is discussed three times more than ‘building decarbonisation’ online.
Against the polycrises of housing, the cost-of-living, and war, it’s difficult to forge a cohesive narrative that cuts through and fosters systems change for European citizens in housing and the climate.
At 89up we are launching a dedicated Built Environment practice to tackle this urgent need. Last year we partnered with the Laudes Foundation and Demos Helsinki to undertake an unprecedented study of the perceptions of a just transition in the built environment.
Interviewing dozens of experts, and creating first-of-its-kind social media insights across four languages (unearthing 15-minute-cities conspiracies and the ‘heating hammer’), we built three narratives (Pragmatic, Futurist, Insecurity) to test across 20,000+ people in 10 European countries.
We found that while Europeans will agree more with a ‘Pragmatic’ narrative - for small changes - they are most influenced to act more by ‘Insecurity’. That is, housing and communities that are safe, comfortable and equal. As we build capacity for the strategic communications our industry needs, this research provides a foundational insight for Laudes Foundation partners in the built environment.
About the author
Jack Beckett is Head of Built Environment at 89up, Europe’s first and biggest sustainability communications agency.
Learn more about the work mentioned above here. Alternatively, please contact jack@89up.org.
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By Jack Beckett
Head of Built Environment, 89up