Leadership opportunity for public relations on climate issues but must get its own house in order

PRCA report highlights opportunities for the public relations profession to provide professional advisory services on climate crisis related issues.

Public relations practitioners are increasingly providing consultancy services to organisations on climate issues according to a new report How is PR fighting climate crisis disinformation published by the PRCA.

The research project by the PRCA Climate Misinformation Strategy Group reports that almost all respondents (96%) are advising their clients and colleagues on the climate crisis. This represents an increase of 14 percentage points over the past 12 months.

Almost half of respondents reported that they had encountered greenwashing with the majority (89%) pushing back on false claims, with almost six in ten professionals (57%) successfully influencing an organisation’s response as a result.

“It’s encouraging to see a rise in public relations practitioners helping clients understand the climate crisis. It’s also great that we’re growing in confidence when we spot greenwashing and feel comfortable pushing back,” said Laura Sutherland, PRCA Climate Misinformation Strategy Group.

The report finds that practitioners continue to face challenges in helping organisations move beyond intent towards action: only a quarter (24%) of organisations set science-based targets and 59% do not measure carbon footprints.

The public industry relations needs to get its own house in order on climate change and address its role in promoting the fossil fuel agenda if it is to truly become a credible advisor on climate issues.

A paper published in the Climate Change journal in November 2021 reported on the role of public relations agencies in climate change politics. It said that agencies played a key role in polluting the climate change debate.

Transparency as a driver for change

There is a notable overlap between PRCA members and agencies on the Clean Creative 2021 F-List of agencies that support clients in the fossil fuel industry.

Transparency of client rosters and work must be a starting point to understand the role that the industry plays in climate politics, followed by commitments to a transition out of the market.

Edelman announced a review of its client portfolio and the creation of a transition plan in January 2022. It has yet to report on progress.

The PRCA has a leadership opportunity to help drive change by holding its members to account to report on their clients and work, however for now it plans to be reactive on this issue.

“All PRCA members, including those working in the energy sector, are bound by the association’s code of conduct. Anyone can register a complaint if they believe a member has breached the Code,” said a PRCA spokesperson.

John Brown, founder of the PRCA Climate Misinformation Strategy Group, would like to see the PRCA take a more proactive approach and include carbon reporting as part of its consultancy management standard.

“Agencies need to report on Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions. It’s right that progressive agencies are also looking at Scope X emissions related to the work that they deliver for clients.”

Brown is also founder of Don’t Cry Wolf and a B Corp Ambassador. He goes further and calls for separation of fossil fuel and renewable energy work for oil and gas companies to counter campaign offsetting.

The PRCA research was undertaken by Opinium and interviewed more than 200 practitioners.

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