Climate for Change

Our vision is a country in which climate action is a top priority. Community, businesses and government unite to make the courageous and urgent changes needed to return a safe climate.

Effective climate action is just a conversation away! The Climate for Change Programme, with support from the Scottish Government, is creating a groundswell of support for effective climate action across our communities. 

With Climate for Change, SCCAN seeks to create that social and political will – the social climate in Scotland in which our leaders can and must do what it takes to stop, and ultimately reverse, global warming.

About Climate for Change – C4C

With support from the Scottish Government we are delivering an adapted version of the excellent Australian ‘ Climate for Change’ programme. 

We know what needs to be done to address climate change effectively. Across the world, policies, technologies and practices already exist that, if taken up at scale and speed, could stop or even reverse global warming. What we are missing is the social and political will needed to act.

With Climate for Change, SCCAN seeks to create that social and political will – the social climate in Scotland in which our leaders can and must do what it takes to stop, and ultimately reverse, global warming.

We are grateful to live in a representative democracy and believe strongly in the power of everyday people to shape this democracy when they actively engage as citizens. Enabling this engagement is the foundation of this programme.

Why Climate Conversations?

Climate Conversations are facilitated discussions amongst friends, family or colleagues, which aim to bring about effective action on climate change through the power of common people in Scotland.

Having lots of quality conversations about climate change is one of the most effective things we can do to stop it. Our Climate Conversations Programme will allow communities in Scotland to have such conversations happen at a scale large enough to create a groundswell of support for effective climate action in Scotland so strong it can’t be ignored.

We need your help to bring these conversations to more people!

We are training facilitators, who will lead these transformative discussions. You don’t need any experience – just passion, commitment and drive (though it always helps to know a bit about climate change!). This is an ongoing volunteer role – we are building a strong community/team of facilitators that together are inspiring hundreds of people in Scotland to stand up on climate change.

We are also looking for generous hosts who will support Climate Conversations by inviting members of their community, their friends and family around to their home or a local venue, for a Conversation facilitated by one of our volunteers. This is a one-off commitment, however hosting multiple Conversations for different groups of your peers will help us reach more people.

Where did it come from?

Since 2015, Climate for Change Australia has pioneered the Climate Conversations model. Using a party-plan model of small gatherings in people’s homes, a facilitator leads a discussion about climate change. Each Conversation generates leads for at least one more, resulting in built-in growth. This is a unique model within the climate movement that allows both deep engagement and exponential growth.

C4C’s 2020 Impact Report (C4C Australia) demonstrates Climate Conversations is a uniquely powerful engagement tool within the climate movement, successful in reaching audiences that others have historically found challenging – especially the “wavering middle” – and in educating and empowering thousands of individuals to take action on climate.

We collaborate and work constructively together regardless of geographical boundaries, demographics or political differences.

Our Vision

Our vision is a country in which climate action is a top priority. Community, businesses and government unite to make the courageous and urgent changes needed to return a safe climate.

Imagine Scotland where…

  • Effective climate action is embedded into all societal, cultural and economic structures. It is an essential factor in all decision-making.
  • Communities, businesses and governments of all levels are united around enabling conditions that will return temperatures to pre-industrial levels and for all life on earth to flourish. 
We collaborate and work constructively together regardless of geographical boundaries, demographics or political differences.

Our Approach

Our approach is based on social research that explains that people process information – make sense of it, make decisions about it and take actions around it – through conversations with people they trust. This is how social change happens.

The Climate for Change programme uses the party plan model made famous by Tupperware® to facilitate discussions about climate change in people’s homes, among friends. This model of engagement is unique within the climate movement and has proven extraordinarily effective in engaging new audiences at both depth and scale.