Climate change is not a rational problem — it’s a deeply human one. And if we want real action, we need to start talking about it in a whole new way.

Rune Nielsen, Cultural Anthropologist, UN Climate Communication Coordinator, and two-time Cicero Speechwriting Award winner, has spent years crafting messages that move beyond data and graphs to create authentic human connection. His book Speaking on Climate is a rallying cry to break the “climate silence” — the fact that while 85% of young people believe we’re in a climate emergency, two thirds never talk about it with anyone.

In this episode, discover:

• Why individualising climate action is a systemic dead-end — and how to collectivise solutions that scale

• The “parent case” for climate: why values and identity can influence CEOs more than business metrics

• Why two-thirds of young people never talk about climate, and how this fuels eco-anxiety and inaction

• How personal stories and metaphors outperform graphs and statistics in driving change

• Why your voice matters more than you think — even if you feel powerless

• How to find unexpected overlap with resistant leaders (hint: think hobbies, family, shared passions)

Rune also shares:

• The emotional power of peer-to-peer and one-to-one conversations in mobilising action

• Why social media can both help and harm climate movements — and how to use it intentionally

• How to equip young people with the rhetorical tools to influence policy and shape the future

This goes beyond another climate conversation; it’s a blueprint for making climate action personal, urgent, and impossible to ignore.

Connect with Rune:
Find Speaking on Climate here: https://amzn.to/45uDo1oLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runekier/

Follow Earth Wise Conversations:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earth-wise-sustainability
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthwiseconversationspodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earthwise.conversations

Perfect for: Sustainability professionals, corporate leaders, environmental advocates, educators, and anyone seeking fresh, effective ways to communicate climate action.