5 Tips to bring climate change discussion at the dinner table

Last year I watched an inspiring TED talk that made me realised how rare it is for me to talk about climate change and sustainability outside of work.

So, I made a personal pledge: bring climate change discussion at the dinner table (or zoom call).

This may sound like a simple thing to do, considering that I have been working in the energy and sustainability industry for almost a decade and this is also my passion, so I consume lots of material related to this subject in my own time, being that a book, audiobook, podcasts, articles (here is my previous article about podcasts and audiobook recommendation). 

A serene dining area bathed in natural light features wooden furniture, desert-themed wall art, and a view of the autumnal forest through large sliding glass doors.

In reality though, I found it quite challenging, and I have only just started to get better at it. So, I wanted to share with you the 5 things that I have learned and that I hope can help you bringing climate change discussions at your dinner table:

1. Find a hook. So, how do you start talking about climate change. Should you wait for the starters to be served, or is it more of a dessert topic? Do you wait for the conversation about the last season of The Crown to be finished, or it may be too late? Or do you just casually drop a “so what do you think about the global climate crisis” and see how it goes? Here is what worked for me: find a simple, tangible, interesting hook that can help bringing the conversation to life and engage everyone in. These are three conversation starters that I used:

   We get a zero plastic and organic veggie box delivered by a local grocery every week (if you would like to get something similar but don’t have a local scheme, check Riverford Organic Farm for national delivery). This was a great icebreaker as friends were interested to know more about it – quality, cost, variety, but it also opened up great conversations about food waste, biodiversity and diet habits related CO2 emissions.

   We have installed smart thermostats on every radiator in our house – they increase comfort, save energy and look quite futuristic. And this has triggered interest from family and friends, and it is a starter for conversation about heating decarbonisation, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

   Brewdog Lost Lager can on the table – this can was packed with climate positive messages, a great conversation starter.  

   
   

2. It’s a chat, not a seminar. You may be very well informed about climate change and sustainability in general, but this is not a seminar and you are not the professor so better avoiding bringing lots of data and stats. It’s a conversation between friends and/or family members, and of course it is a great opportunity to share some of your knowledge, but don’t proclaim yourself as an oracle that has all the answers, instead, use this as an opportunity to discuss different topics, point of views and personal experiences.

   
   

3. Don’t make assumptions. What you may think is common knowledge, is not. Not everyone knows or understand what climate change means, why it is a problem, where it comes from and what we can do about it. So, make sure you make no assumptions, and adjust the conversation to the right level, and to what sparks interest in others. Every conversation about climate change is meaningful, at every level.

   
   

4. Be positive. We live in a climate crisis and the consequences for the planet and our society can be catastrophic. But that’s not what the focus of the conversation should be. Instead, bring the positive, the hope, the opportunity for a better and prosperous future, in harmony with the planet. The feeling after a conversation about climate change should be optimism and passion, not sadness and resignation. If you want to read more about this topic, this paper from Futerra was shared with me last week and it’s brilliant.

   
   

5. Pick your battles. People will have different positions about climate change, and you can probably identify five groups: the passionate ones, interested and keen to take action, interested but adverse to change, not interested, sceptical. Try to understand what the right time is for having a conversation about climate change based on whom you are talking to. And be prepared to move away from the conversation if it doesn’t feel right. Something you want to avoid is to monopolise the conversation by entering in a 1-2-1 detailed debate with someone that denies climate change while the rest of the table is left out. You should certainly have this conversation, but at the right time and in the right place.

   
   

And you, what is your recommendation for bringing climate change discussions at your dinner table?

ces of tomorrow.