Climate Action Plan CAPE COD COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK DRAFT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This framework was developed by Cape Cod Commission staff with the support of the Communications Stakeholder Working Group who was generous with their knowledge, time, and expertise. 2021 CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK APRIL 2021 DRAFT Prepared by Cape Cod Commission Staff The maps and graphics in this document are for planning purposes only. They are not adequate for legal boundary definition, regulatory interpretation,DRAFT or parcel level analysis. P.O. Box 226 (3225 Main Street), Barnstable, Massachusetts 02630 Phone: 508-362-3828 Email: [email protected] www.capecodcommission.org CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 5 RESOURCES ..................................................................................................55 Climate Communications on Cape Cod .................................7 Cape Cod Commission Resources ............................................55 How to Use This Framework .........................................................12 Communications Tools ..................................................................63 COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK STRATEGY ......................... 14 Select Metrics for Communications Evaluation ............... 64 1. Setting Goals and Objectives ...................................................15 Example Metrics for Campaign impact ................................ 64 2. Identifying Key Audiences and Collaborators ............... 17 Free Photo Banks .............................................................................. 65 3. Developing Key Messages ........................................................23 Free Video Banks ............................................................................... 65 4. Selecting Outreach Strategies ..............................................36 Free Graphics Banks ........................................................................ 66 5. Determining Milestones and Timeline ...............................51 Educational Resources ................................................................... 67 6. Defining and measuring success ........................................52 DRAFT 3 The Cape Cod Climate Action Plan is a major component of the Cape Cod Climate Initiative, a community-focused, information- based effort to inform a strategic framework and collaborative approach to address the region’s contributions to and threats from climate change.DRAFT CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK Introduction Climate change is a key challenge facing the environmental well-being, including impacting This Climate Communications Framework, natural, built, and community systems of how Cape Cod’s ecosystems function. an addendum to that Plan, serves as a guide Cape Cod. Cape Cod is vulnerable to climate- for municipal and regional government staff, related hazards, such as sea level rise, storm In response to regional climate challenges, educators, non-governmental organizations surge and flooding, erosion, damaging the Cape Cod Commission (Commission) (NGOs), and others who endeavor to build winds, elevated summer temperatures, developed a Climate Action Plan for Cape on the regional Climate Action Plan and and wildfire. These hazards put vulnerable Cod, in collaboration with a wide range of communicate to their audiences about populations at risk and can cause loss of stakeholders, that describes challenges, climate change, mitigation, and adaptation on life, damage buildings and infrastructure, impacts, and potential mitigation and Cape Cod. impair coastal environments, and otherwise adaptation strategies. impact a community’s economic, social, and DRAFT 5 CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK The Climate Communications Framework The process for developing a climate climate change with different communities works in tandem with the research communications plan is broken down into six across Cape Cod. As much as possible, this and strategies put forth by the Climate different components including setting goals framework takes the COVID-19 pandemic Action Plan to offer a path to developing and objectives, determining key audiences into account, offering both virtual and a coordinated and effective strategy for and collaborators, drafting key messages, in-person communications strategies and delivering key messages and engaging selecting outreach strategies, establishing considerations. The framework also links with communities across Cape Cod about a timeline, and measuring and evaluating diverse communications resources, ranging climate change. It includes both theoretical success. Each section is explored in depth, from educational content to free online and practical guidance focused on how to covering topline strategies and practical photo and video banks. develop a climate communications plan. tactics for communicating about This resource will support stakeholders across Cape Cod as they translate the Climate Action Plan into results. DRAFT 6 CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK CLIMATE Legal and Jurisdictional Analysis Four working groups provided guidance and feedback in the topic areas of transportation, Economic Impact Modeling COMMUNICATIONS housing and development, natural resources ON CAPE COD Stakeholder Engagement and working lands, and energy. Four Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies subregional municipal meetings were also CLIMATE ACTION PLAN held to better understand municipal goals, Student Climate Ambassador Program capacity, and needs relative to climate action. In July 2020, the Cape Cod Commission Cape-wide Survey Focus groups with local organizations and launched a regional climate action planning a cross-sector working group also provided process that considers both climate change GHG Emissions Inventory input to guide development of the Climate mitigation and adaptation, building off of The Cape Cod Commission collaborated Action Plan. the 2019 Cape Cod Climate Initiative. With with stakeholders to identify strategies the goal of improving the region’s resilience and develop an action plan to address the to climate hazards and mitigating climate critical challenges posed by climate change. change on Cape Cod through reducing Stakeholders contributed to problem net regional greenhouse gas emissions definition, climate adaptation and mitigation in support of the framework and targets actions and strategies, and approaches to established by the Commonwealth, the communication and education. Commission set out to begin development of the following components of the Climate Action Plan: DRAFT ABOUT THE CAPE COD CLIMATE INITIATIVE The Climate Initiative—a collaborative process to develop a strategic framework to address the region’s contributions to and threats from climate change—was informed by a series of recommendations from the 2018 Regional Policy Plan, including development of a baseline GHG emissions inventory for the region, and structured in response to broad community input. The Cape Cod Climate Action Plan is a major component of the Cape Cod Climate Initiative. 7 CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK DEVELOPING A their own work, ranging from curriculum creation of this communications framework COMMUNICATIONS materials to online tools to articles in the and contains additional information that may FRAMEWORK media (see Resources section). In addition, be helpful to other communicators. Commission staff conducted a field scan The Cape Cod Climate Action Plan of over 50 documents related to climate Communications Framework was change communications. The field scan CHALLENGES TO CLIMATE developed by Cape Cod Commission surfaced several communications plans COMMUNICATIONS staff, in collaboration with a network of that were designed specifically to work in Throughout the stakeholder engagement communications and education stakeholders tandem with a Climate Action Plan, as well process, the Commission heard from in the region through a series of stakeholder as other relevant resources that have also practitioners about the toughest working group meetings. been added to the Resources section of challenges they are facing in this document. The C40 communicating about climate change, Commission staff and meeting facilitators Climate Action Planning from difficulties in the Cape’s identified an initial set of communications Communications Toolkit1 classrooms to barriers facing public challenges during the extensive outreach produced by The sector employees in community process conducted between 2019 and C40 Cities Climate engagement. 2020, which led to the establishment of Leadership a Communications Stakeholder Working Group was Group. This group met twice virtually in 2021. particularly In the first meeting, participants shared the helpful challenges they observed as communicators in the and educators in this field. During the second meeting, participants responded to a draft outline of the framework, including guiding DRAFT principles, goals, intended audiences, and key strategies. Participants also shared resources they identified or leveraged in 1 The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. “The C40 Climate Action Planning Communications Toolkit.” 2020. Link: https://bit. ly/30zwFSL. 8 CAPE COD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK Educators who participated in the A NOTE