PRCA partners with the Royal Meteorological Society to fight climate misinformation
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has partnered with the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) to deliver specialised training to educate public relations and communication professionals about climate change and to ensure practitioners work to the highest ethical and transparent standards.
Recent research from the PRCA’s Misinformation and the Climate Crisis Strategy Group revealed the industry needed to upskill in order to be an effective strategic advisor to clients and in organisations.
The new full-day virtual course, delivered by the RMetS, is designed to empower communicators by providing the knowledge and tools to engage audiences in climate change. The training will help PR and communication teams understand the science behind climate change, what it might mean for the future and how to explain it to your audiences. By the end of the course, teams will also feel confident in finding trustworthy resources and have access to climate experts.
PRCA Climate Misinformation Strategy Group Chair John Brown FPRCA commented:
“One of the objectives for our strategy group was to help improve the knowledge and understanding of climate change within the industry. This is a leap forward in hitting that objective, with a serious course delivered by an organisation that brings balance and insight to the topic.
“More PR professionals than ever before are being asked to provide counsel on climate change, it’s critical that those same professionals move beyond a nervous, superficial, understanding of the topic and into a position of confidence and clarity - this course will accelerate that shift in knowledge.”
Royal Meteorological Society Chief Executive Liz Bentley said:
"It was around this time last year when Sir David Attenborough said that 'Saving our planet is now a communication challenge.' We are keen to accept that challenge and support PR professionals with the science behind climate change, breaking down the myths and jargon and sharing knowledge we have learnt along the way.
“We hope our training will help communicators feel enabled to advise their organisations and clients on the facts. We also want them to be inspired to share the positive stories and message of hope in the progress already being made to tackle climate issues. When we read about the work the PRCA is already doing in this area, it felt like the ideal partnership.”
To find out more about the Climate Change Communications course, please click here.
About PRCA
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the world’s largest professional PR body.
They represent more than 35,000 PR professionals in 70 countries worldwide. With offices in London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and Buenos Aires, they are a global advocate for excellence in public relations.
Their mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. They champion - and enforce - professional standards around the world through their Professional Charter and Code of Conduct. The Code compels members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice.
They deliver exceptional training, authoritative industry data, and global networking, and development opportunities.
They also manage the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) - the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world, and LG Comms – the UK’s national body for local government communicators. Additionally, they support the delivery of the Motor Industry Communicators Association (MICA).