Climate Rising

How can companies make sustainability information useful to consumers at the moment they make a purchase? Justine Mahler and Cameron Westfall of Amazon join Climate Rising to discuss Climate Pledge Friendly, Amazon’s sustainable shopping program. They explain how Amazon uses third-party certifications to identify products with sustainability attributes, how the company evaluates which certifications qualify, and how it translates complex standards into information consumers can quickly understand. The conversation also explores what Amazon has learned about consumer behavior since launching the program in 2020. Cameron shares research showing a sales lift for products after joining Climate Pledge Friendly, while Justine explains why the environmental impacts that matter most differ across product categories. They also discuss how customer feedback, experimentation, and evolving sustainability science continue to shape the program.

Climate action requires more than technology, policy, and capital. It also requires communication. In this special curated episode of Climate Rising, we revisit three past conversations to explore how companies communicate about climate change to different audiences. The episode features excerpts from Mike Toffel’s conversations with leaders of New Belgium Brewing, Allbirds, and Microsoft that illustrate distinct approaches to climate storytelling. New Belgium used products and campaigns to engage consumers directly. Allbirds embedded sustainability into product design and customer experience. Microsoft focused internally, translating climate ambition into governance structures and decision-making processes. Taken together, these leaders highlight how climate communication can influence customers, employees, policymakers, and business leaders—and why storytelling remains an essential part of accelerating climate action.

Carbon labeling has become one of the most visible ways climate actions enter everyday consumer decisions. In this episode of Climate Rising, Julia Nicoara, Marketing and Communications Director at the Carbon Trust, explains how carbon labeling systems, certification standards, and corporate partnerships are helping organizations measure, reduce, and communicate their climate impact. The conversation explores how carbon labels evolved from early experimental initiatives into widely adopted transparency tools, how companies balance credibility and communication in sustainability claims, and how regulation is shaping the future of green marketing

Addressing climate change isn’t just a technology or policy challenge - it’s a communication challenge. John Marshall, founder of Potential Energy Coalition, joins Climate Rising to discuss how marketing techniques can accelerate climate action. Drawing on decades of experience advising major corporations, John explains how his team uses behavioral science, focus groups, large-scale experimentation, and data-driven messaging to shift public perception on climate and energy. The conversation explores why traditional climate messaging often fails, how concepts like “net zero” and “climate crisis” can backfire, and why trust, identity, and local relevance matter more than abstract global narratives. John also discusses the role of AI in reshaping marketing and the risks and opportunities it presents for climate communication

Transforming the energy system isn’t just a technical challenge - it’s a communication challenge. Leah Qusba, CEO of Good Power, joins Climate Rising to discuss how public perception, political engagement, and storytelling are shaping the pace of the clean energy transition. Good Power operates at the intersection of behavioral science, data, and campaigning, working to accelerate renewable energy adoption and counter misinformation. The conversation explores how permitting bottlenecks, disinformation campaigns, and community resistance are slowing renewable energy deployment—and how targeted communication strategies can overcome these barriers. Leah also discusses the role of peer-to-peer storytelling, the importance of trusted messengers, and how digital media ecosystems influence climate outcomes. The episode also examines Good Power’s expansion into regenerative agriculture, the role of demand creation in scaling sustainable food systems, and how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping climate communication.