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When climate policy meets public conversation: Parliamentary perspectives on climate communication in the Americas and the Caribbean

December 12, 2025 | Activity

For most people, climate change does not enter their lives through scientific reports or international negotiations. It shows up in everyday life: higher food prices, concerns about water quality, rising energy bills, or questions about whether climate policies will make life more expensive. That’s why the challenge for parliamentarians isn’t just passing climate laws—it’s explaining them in ways that are relevant and trustworthy.

This was the central focus of a recent ParlAmericas session, part of its post-COP30 meeting series, under the theme Communicating with Constituents about Climate: Dispelling Myths and Taking Action. Throughout the exchange, participants returned to a shared concern: how to communicate climate policy in ways that resonate and drive action.

From the outset, the discussion emphasized that international climate commitments only matter if they translate into national action, and that communication is central to that process. Drawing on her experience participating in COP30, Senator Rosa Galvez (Canada), President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability (PNCCS), stressed that parliamentarians need to explain climate goals in plain language, connect them to local concerns, and make sure governments deliver.

As the session unfolded, a strong emphasis on solutions emerged. Participants reflected on how, amid growing misinformation and public skepticism, framing climate action around practical responses can open space for public engagement. Moderated by Senator Anthony Vieira (Trinidad and Tobago), Vice-President for the Caribbean of the PNCCS, the dialogue explored how climate impacts intersect with local social and economic realities, highlighting the role of organized civil society and environmental education in turning long-term climate goals into decisions people recognize in their everyday lives.

That shift depends in large part on making climate science more relatable. Dr. Laura Ramajo, Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, drew attention to the uneven impacts of climate change across communities, underscoring how factors such as living conditions or having a disability can shape a person’s resilience and exposure to climate change. Science, she noted, resonates most when it’s tied to real-life examples and busts persistent myths. Professor Barbara Leckie, Academic Director of Re.Climate, added that climate action touches every policy area—and strong, relatable narratives from trusted messengers beyond decision-makers are key to overcoming cost concerns and building lasting public support.

This emphasis on relatable narratives naturally led to questions of credibility and trust. Speaking about climate change in direct and concrete terms with constituents, particularly through its tangible effects on people’s well-being and livelihood, emerged as essential to sustaining public confidence. Dr. Rubén Contreras, Head of the Climate Change Section of OAS-SEDI illustrated this by pointing to the rising cost of insurance to cover damage from disasters as a stark example of how the impacts of climate change are already affecting society. He stressed that responding to these realities requires stronger cooperation across the Americas and the Caribbean to turn international commitments into well-funded, actionable policies.

The key takeaway? Climate communication isn’t an add-on, it’s central to parliamentary work. Sitting between global climate negotiations and local realities, parliamentarians bridge ambition and feasibility, evidence and skepticism, long-term goals and immediate concerns. As Senator Iván Flores (Chile), President of ParlAmericas, noted, COP30 being held in the Amazon underscores both the hemisphere’s ecological importance and the challenge of building trust in societies shaped by inequality and distrust. The meeting showed how their unique position allows parliamentarians to take forward COP30 outcomes, including transformational shifts such as moving away from fossil fuels, while keeping climate action grounded in democratic conversation with constituents. Not as an abstract agenda, but as a shared journey.

This meeting was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.