The science is clear and we read it in daily headlines how the urgency of the climate crisis is deepening. But this  message doesn’t always seem to reach decision makers worldwide. To bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and societal action, the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) created the Planetary Communications handbook. It was developed by more than 100 researchers and experts worldwide, including those from Future Earth, and draws its inspiration from the Planetary Boundaries framework.

The handbook includes nine ingredients that can be combined in different ways to make complex scientific messages about climate and the environment more relatable and accessible to different audiences. Those ingredients are: be factful, simplify, time it wisely, link to other societal concerns, make it actionable, highlight solutions, navigate emotions, make it personal, and visualize it.

SRC and partners launched the handbook at two events at Climate WeeK NYC. Wendy Broadgate, Global Hub Director in Sweden and Interim Executive Director at Future Earth, joined the launch at The Climate Hub and highlighted the importance of pairing the challenges ahead with a vision of what is possible.

“I think people are inspired by positive futures and the positive world that we can create. The transformations that we need lead to a very positive world. I think scaring people is one tactic, one reality, but I think we should always have an element of hope and positive futures in our messaging,” said Broadgate.

During the launch, the 10 New Insights in Climate Science was highlighted as an example, with a high focus on “time it wisely.” The 10 Insights is released annually to create a regular rhythm of science-based updates aimed at informing negotiations at the COP and beyond. The 2026/2027 edition will be launched on October 6.

Watch the launch of the Planetary Communications handbook at The Climate Hub.