With an unprecedented amount of  information—and misinformation—about the climate crisis in the public domain, professionals from a wide range of backgrounds need to know how to harness today’s powerful digital tools to develop effective communications strategies. 

​​Strategic Climate Change Communication Certificate Program

A 14-week online certificate program for working professionals.

A new online certificate program launched by the Yale School of the Environment will equip climate change communicators with skills to navigate this rapidly evolving media landscape. The 14-week program, developed by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC), reflects the changing nature of climate communication.

“We have tools at our disposal to communicate at a speed and scale that is just unprecedented, and we’re operating in an environment where communication itself is ever more critical,” said program instructor Anthony Leiserowitz, the JoshAni-TomKat Professor of Climate Change Communication and director of YPCCC.

The Strategic Climate Change Communication Certificate Program builds on a course Leiserowitz taught that emphasized the need to develop communications at the very start of an initiative.

“A lot of times, communicators are struggling with questions of tactics about getting a message out, such as what word should I use? Should I call it climate change or global warming? Do we need to create a TikTok channel? But effective communication starts with clarity about goals, audiences, credibility, and context. Comms needs to be in the C-suite, in the process right from the very beginning. Tactics should then flow from your goals and objectives and your larger strategy,” Leiserowitz said.

The public is increasingly engaging with climate issues. Over the past decade, the proportion of Americans who identify as “Alarmed” about climate change has grown more than any other audience, from 15% in 2014 to almost 26% in 2024, YPCCC’s “Global Warming’s Six Americas” research revealed.

“There are far more Americans who are alarmed about climate change today than there was 15 years ago. Globally, there is far more engagement at every level, from citizens to communities, to companies to governments. It is a top issue the world continues to focus on,” Leiserowitz noted.

The course is co-taught by Marija Verner, quantitative research specialist at YSE who studies how people around the world understand, experience and respond to climate change. 

“The course curriculum draws directly from over two decades of YPCCC research on what motivates people to engage with climate change,” Verner said  “We know from our studies that understanding audience beliefs and values leads to crafting effective strategies.”

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Participants will learn about audience climate change beliefs, values and motivations; design emotionally resonant messages grounded in narratives; detect and counter disinformation; and evaluate communications impacts using clear metrics. The course also will examine emerging technologies such as AI and publicly available satellite data that can pinpoint carbon and methane emissions anywhere in the world, which offer support for effective communication while simultaneously providing tools for those seeking to block climate action through misinformation and disinformation.

“These technologies are radically changing what we know about the world and fundamentally altering who has access to information,” Leiserowitz noted.

The course runs from May-August and provides 4-5 hours of instruction each week including interactive discussions with faculty and researchers, peer-to-peer exchanges, and on-demand video lectures. Participants will apply the concepts they learn in the weekly sessions to build a communications plan they can put into effect immediately. 

“Today’s information environment is more fragmented and chaotic than ever before. That’s precisely why communicators need rigorous, research-backed strategies rather than intuition alone. Our program gives participants the tools to cut through the noise,” Verner said.

Applications for the course open Feb.9.