This interactive, hour-long workshop is designed as an accessible introduction to the skills and mindsets that support more meaningful conversations about climate issues in our daily lives.
Rather than focusing on technical knowledge or abstract solutions, the session explores the human side of climate communication:
- Why so many people avoid talking about climate – and why that matters
- How to speak from shared values, rather than confrontation or despair
- Simple tools for building trust, telling personal stories, and inviting dialogue
- What to do when conversations feel difficult, emotional, or stuck
We believe this is a vital piece of the climate puzzle. While public awareness is growing, everyday conversations about the climate remain surprisingly rare – despite their potential to shift norms, reduce polarisation, and open up space for collective action. This workshop offers a chance to reflect on why that is, and how we might start changing it.
The tone will be warm, welcoming, and highly participatory. It should appeal to anyone interested in community engagement, activism, or simply wanting to talk more confidently with family, friends, colleagues or neighbours.
Friday 13th June
10:00-11:00
Free Event but places limited, so please book your place here .
This session will be delivered by Susan O’Leary and colleagues from The Centre for Research into Sustainability (CRIS), a multidisciplinary, international group of researchers and educators at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. They are actively engaged with the understanding of social/ethical, economic and environmental sustainability in contemporary society.
They approach sustainability in a broad and integrated manner, encompassing economic, social, ethical and environmental dimensions. Through their research, teaching, and collaborations with external partners, they strive to advance scholarship from a social and climate justice perspective by focusing on urgent global challenges such as poverty alleviation, social inequity, and the climate crisis.
Thrive Festival 