In the lead-up to COP 29, hosted in Baku in November 2024, we launched our UnpackingCOP29 campaign with a clear goal: to innovate the way climate change is communicated, making it accessible, engaging, and empowering for diverse audiences.
Climate discussions often seem distant or disconnected, but through storytelling, information, and humor, we worked to make these conversations relatable and impactful. Our campaign aimed to empower audiences from all backgrounds to actively participate in climate conversations and action, providing them with the tools to understand global developments and apply them locally.
We wanted to ensure that people from all walks of life, regardless of location or background, felt equipped to understand and contribute to climate action. Through our campaign, we aimed to create a space where climate change became an issue people could connect with, learn from, and act on.
We kicked off the campaign on 2 November 2024 with an introductory post outlining the goals of UnpackingCOP29 on our social media channels, including our website. From the beginning, we set out to create content that was not only informative but also accessible to a diverse audience.
Our content included:
As COP 29 approached, our campaign began to gain momentum. One of the key elements of our ongoing content strategy was the Concept Breakdown series. While this series is a regular feature on our platforms, during these weeks, we focused specifically on issues related to COP 29. This series focused on key topics and terms related to COP 29, like climate diplomacy, the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), Climate Reparations, GRAP, and technology transfer.
We also launched our Know Your COP series, which delved into the key themes that were expected to dominate the summit. From Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to Loss and Damage, each post simplified these crucial topics, helping our audience understand their importance and relevance in the context of global climate negotiations. This series served as a perfect primer for those eager to grasp the foundational concepts that would shape the discussions at COP29.
Instead of focusing on single posts, we aimed to craft a cohesive narrative through a variety of content pieces. For example, we designed fact sheets that visually explained critical topics such as climate finance- a major issue of COP 29, the implications of COP decisions, and the financial needs of Global South countries in the fight against climate change. These easy-to-follow visual explainers were widely shared and generated high engagement across our platforms.
To understand the influence of geopolitics on climate discussions, we introduced the Climate Card series. This initiative was designed to showcase world leaders' stances on climate change, offering a simple yet innovative way for our followers to understand where various countries and their leaders stand on climate action. It contrasted leaders like Donald Trump, the re-elected President of the USA, known for his anti-climate views, with Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the USA, who supports more ambitious climate policies. We continued to feature leaders such as Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Emmanuel Macron, sparking discussions on the political will required to address the climate crisis and how world leaders influence global climate policy.
Our team also produced videos and reels. These multimedia pieces provided an engaging way to communicate the conference's outcomes and key climate concepts, ensuring the content reached and educated a wider audience.
Our content also took a deep dive into the Cop outcomes throughout the years. These included insights on the historical outcomes of COP gatherings, tracking progress from COP 1 to 2024, and explaining the key decisions and implications of each, providing context for understanding how global climate action has evolved over the years. This post served as a reminder of the progress made, but also the work that remains to be done.
In addition to these, we posted a Reading List on Climate Finance on our website. This was a comprehensive list of resources for anyone interested in studying the topic in more detail. It included books, research papers, and articles that explained the intricacies of climate finance and its role in addressing the climate crisis.
We further engaged with thought leaders like Jayati Talapatra, a business sustainability expert, who shared insights on why COP matters, and Sanika Diwanji, a climate communicator, who discussed the need to connect global conversations to local actions. This segment provided expert insights on the global climate agenda and how we can drive meaningful change at the grassroots level.
To keep our campaign dynamic, we diversified our content strategy. Alongside technical breakdowns, we shared lighter, yet impactful pieces—such as recommendations for five compelling documentaries and six insightful books on climate change.
We leveraged Instagram Stories as an additional tool. These played a pivotal role in creating buzz around our campaign, providing behind-the-scenes glimpses, countdowns to new posts, and interactive polls to keep the audience engaged.
Adding a touch of humor to balance the seriousness of climate discussions, we shared witty and relatable memes on COP 29 and climate change. This lighter approach not only entertained but also made complex topics feel more approachable, fostering greater engagement and encouraging followers to share and discuss the content widely.
Website Engagement:
LinkedIn:
10,000 + views
80 new followers
143 new visitors
300+ page views
TA is a Bhopal-based policy and development consulting group. We are on a mission to make the development space more inclusive and democratic for students and professionals. Join us on this mission.
