1 CONTENTS Section 1: Executive Summary ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 3 Section 2: Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 4 Section 3: Situational Analysis ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 4 3.2: Climate change conversation analysis ................................ ................................ ..................... 4 3.3: Changing climate of opinion ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 4 3. 4: Policy response ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 5 3.5: CAS analysis ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 6 3.6: Foundations for climate leadership ................................ ................................ ......................... 6 3.7: Community led ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 6 3.8: Narrow focus, wide impact ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 6 3.9: Summary o f analysis ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 7 Section 4: Key publics ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 7 4.1: Campaign critical publics ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 7 4.6: Secondary stakeholders ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 8 Section 5: Campaign Objectives ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 9 Section 6: Campaign messaging ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 9 Section 7: Strategy, tactics and evaluation ................................ ................................ ........................ 10 Section 8: AppendiX ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 12 Appendix A: SWOT Analysis of Organisation and Situation ................................ ......................... 13 S ECTION 1 : EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Scotland has set ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2045 P rogress has been made in areas such as in increasing renewable energy production However, around 20% of the country’s gree n house g as emissions come from how we heat our home s – and emissions in this sector have remained stagnant, bucking the overall carbon cutting trend. The Communicating in a Changing Climate report provides Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) with a one - year public relations plan that encourages the public to take individual action to decrease their carbon emissions and simultaneously save money on their fuel bills through improving their household energy efficiency. The plan is framed around an overarching key message of ‘ good for your pocket, good for the planet ’ to underline that taking steps to combat climate change can be good for your bank balance too. We have identified several campaign critical publics we must target in our communications such as homeowners; CAS bureaux network and volunteers; traditional media and social media users who follow home improvement trends. The campaign aims to encourage applications for a Home Energy Scotland interest free loan for energy efficient home improvements through our bureaux network , with a goal to have helped at least 2,000 CAS service users apply by the end of the 12 - month period To achieve this, the report proposes a range of tactics to communicate effectively to our campaign critical publics. CAS will deliver Scotland - wide press releases to traditional media titles, secure agenda setting Op - Eds , provide our bureaux network and volunteers with template press releases for local media, create engaging home improvement - fo cussed Pinterest and Instagram posts and provide relevant Ministers and influential civil servants with updates on the campaign. On - going e valuation is a cornerstone of the campaign. Communicating in a Changing Climate proposes quarterly comparisons and reviews of outputs and success , with a survey to bureaux volunteers and staff halfway through the plan to receive vital feedback so our tactics and messaging can be finessed to be even more effective. As well benefiting the public, the campaig n’s success opens opportunities for the organisation. Through driving this message CAS can become a leading voice on the topic of climate change in Scotland, potentially leading to new donations from environmentally concerned citizen s and future government contracts around delivering net zero policy goals. SECTION 2 : INTRODUCTION In February 2021 , The Board of Trustees tasked the external communications team to prepare a year - long public relation s plan on climate change which will enable Citizens Advice Scotland (CA S ) to becoming a leading voice on the issue Achieving this will allow the organisation to advocate for change at a governmental level on net zero derived policies more effectively , and potentially open new revenue streams in the form of donations from environmentally concerned citizens and government contracts on delivering net zero policies. The proposals in this report aim to provide CA S with a comprehensive year - long external communications campaign on climate ch ange which begin s in Q3 2021 and culminates at the end of Q3 2022. Upon approval by the Chief Executive Officer, Derek Mitchell , and the Board of Trustees , this plan will be implemented and evaluated as detailed within SECTION 3 : SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 3 .2: CLIMATE CHANGE CONV ERSATION ANALYSIS Climate change has moved from being an issue on the periphery of politics in the UK to being at the forefront of government policy at both Westminster and Holyrood. It is also an issue which has captured the media and the public’s imagination in recent years. As detailed in Appendix A, this creates several communications opportunities and threats for CA S in the near to medium future. 3.3: CHANGING CLIMATE OF OPINION Most of the existing conversation around climate chan ge is focussed on corporations decreasing their emissions, with limited discussion on individual actions. However, considerable polling evidence suggests the public are increasing concerned about the topic and open to taking steps in their daily lives to r educe carbon emissions. A wide - ranging survey by Ipsos Mori on Scottish attitudes to an economic recovery from Covid - 19 in October 2020 showed widespread support for both corporations and individuals taking action to reduce their carbon emissions. Almost t hree quarters of those asked said they would consider reducing car travel, while 61% of Scots said they support introducing regulations that require homeowners to replace their current gas or oil - fired boiler and radiators with a new type of heating system that is more environmentally friendly 1 Overall, 1 Ipsos Mori, December 2020 Scots are increasingly concerned about the threat of climate change, with a separate poll by Ipsos Mori finding 84% of the public are worried about the issue 2 3.4: POLICY RESPONSE This concern has led to action. The Scottish Government set a legally binding target in 2019 to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2045. Around 20% of Scotland’s current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the process of heating buildings, with most of these emissions related to heating residential premises 3 . While overall GHG emissions in Scotland have steadily declined over t he last two decades, emissions from heating buildings has remained largely stagnant. This sectoral failure has been noticed by policymakers , with it becoming clear further carbon emission reductions will only be possible if we change the way we heat our h omes 4 The devolved government has pledged to publish a Heat in Buildings Strategy which will include new policies aimed at cutting emissions from how we heat our homes and businesses 5 The announcement of a forthcoming strategy follows the roll out of a n ew arms - length public body – Home Energy Scotland – which offers a range of services, including interest free loans to provide funding for homeowners to carry out energy efficiency home improvements 6 Improving how we heat our homes is not only important for the environment, it is also integral to raising living standards. Almost a quarter of families in Scotland live in fuel poverty, with latest figures estimating a total of 613,000 households falling into this category 7 Enhancing energy efficiency simultaneously helps struggling families save money and lower s their carbon emissions. With new legally binding carbon reduction target s, and increased concern from the general public, there is no doubt climate change will define all aspects of public poli cy for a generation. 2 Ipsos Mori, January 2020 3 The Scottish Government, February 2021. 4 Two - Thirds of UK Homes 'fail on energy efficiency targets', BBC 2020 5 Scottish Government Annual Energy Statement, December 2020. 6 Home Energy Scotland Loan 7 Scottish House Condition Survey, December 2020. 3 5 : CA S ANALYSIS CAS exists to provide our service users with the information and tools they need to overcome the challenges they confront in their daily lives , and to advocate for reform where change is needed. The transformation o f our economy from one based on hydrocarbons to one which is net zero will touch every aspect of our societ y and impact on CA S service users. 3.6: FOUNDATIONS FOR CLIM ATE LEADERSHIP CAS’s nationwide advice network provided help for more than 188,000 service users in 2019 - 20, helping members of the public complete over 53,000 benefit forms 8 This track record of being a bridge between social security policy and the public gives CA S a strong foundation to similarly help government deliver public - led cli mate policy. The organisation already campaigns on fuel poverty , but we have so far failed to link tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficacy to the wider topic of climate change. Not once in our campaign materials for last year’s Big Energy Savin g Week was the subject mentioned 9 This public relations plan seeks to address this by building a narrative that links improving energy efficiency to the net zero decarbonisation agenda. 3.7: COMMUNITY LED Our 59 member bureaux form Scotland’s largest ind ependent advice network. They are a campaigning asset and incorporating them into this communications plan is critical to its success. They have experience of being a bridge between the public and policy, and, most importantly, have experience of cascading CAS campaigns such as the recent Fair Delivery Charges campaign 10 Moreover, their ability to provide data on how many service users h ave used CAS to help with applying for Home Energy Scotland loans is integral for ongoing campaign monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, our network will be able to provide case studies to help wider media outreach on the subject. 3.8: NARROW FOCUS, WI DE IMPACT 8 Citizens Advice Scotland 9 Big Energy Saving Week 2020 Campaign Brief 10 Fair Delivery Charges The topic of decarbonisation is vast, encompassing everything from electric vehicles to reducing meat consumption. We must understand from the outset CAS cannot be a credible voice across the spectrum of climate issu es. 3.9: SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS O ur analysis has led us to determine that focussing on encouraging homeowners to take - up Home Energy Scotland’s interest free loan s should be the focus of the organisation’s work on climate change over the next year. By narrowly focussing on the need to imp rove household energy efficacy , CAS can become a leading voice in the climate debate – advocating for best policy outcomes and securing financial gains for our service users. While it would be beneficial for our service users, it would also open opportunities for the organisation. Through becom ing a climate change leader in Scotland this could potentially lead to new donations from environmentally concerned citizens and future government contracts around delivering net zero policy goals. SECTION 4 : KEY PUBLICS Communicating in a Changing Climate aims to ensure that when we speak about energy efficiency, we are talking to those who are most likely to act In preparation for this plan we have identified a series of publics we aim to target our commu nications to . These are individuals or organisations that are crucial to meeting the campaign’s objections ( S ection 4). 4.1: CAMPAIGN CRITICAL PU BLICS 4.2: HOMEOWNERS Scotland’s housing stock is segmented by those who own their own home, those who rent privately and those who rent from a social landlord such as a local authority or housing association. While avenues exist for tenants to improve their home energy efficiency, the simplest r outes are for those who own their properties. Moreover , the latest Scottish House Condition Survey reported that 43 % of those in fuel poverty either owned their home outright (30%) or it was mortgaged (13%) 11 In addition, research by Ipsos Mori found those from ABC1 social 11 Scottish House Condition Survey, December 2020. background (middle class) are most likely to support measures aimed at tackling climate change 12 This makes environmentally concerned homeowners a primary public for our campaign. 4.3: CA S BUREAUX NETWORK As an umbrella organisation, C A S delivers messaging nationally, but it is our independent bureaux network who cascade our narrative to individuals at the grassroots and in local media. Ensuring the bureaux network and volunteers understand the campaign, have access to our assets and see the long - term benefits to the organisation is key for this public relations plan to be a success. 4.4: TRADITIONAL AND NON - TRADITIONAL MEDIA Despite the rise or alternative platforms, traditional media (print, TV & radio) continues to have a n important rol e in influencing behaviour and views, with the added bonus it can reach a broad audience both quickly and cheaply. Environment and climate change centred websites and blogs have loyal followings keen to learn what more they can do to help the planet. Securing organic coverage on these platforms is key to reaching our target demographic of environmentally conscious individuals. 4.5: HOME - IMPROVEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA USERS Image driven content around home improvements are extremely popular on social media ch annels , with the hashtag #homeimprovement featuring in 3.7m Instagram posts alone at the time of writing 13 Pinterest is also another social media network which has a sizeable niche of followers specifically searching for content regarding the topic. 4.6: SECONDARY STAKEHOLDE RS 4.7: SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT The Scottish Government design, implement and legislate policy surrounding net zero. Improving energy efficiency is an area they are keen to expand on in the coming months Their output and views on the subject can influence primary stakeholders’ perception of the importance of taking action and what support there is to deliver it. 12 Ipsos Mori, December 2020 13 Instagram 4.8: OTHER THIRD - SECTOR O RGANISATIONS It is important to monitor output from other third - sector organisations such as Friends of the Earth Scotland or Oxfam who may also begin to take an increased interest in the decarbonisation of heat , making it more difficult for CAS to own this niche of climate change policy. SECTION 5 : CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVE S We p ropose the following objectives for this project to deliver measurable success for the organisation in a timely manner: 1. Help at least 2,000 CAS service users apply for a Home Energy Scotland loan for energy efficient home improvements through the bureaux n etwork by end of Q3 2022. 2. Distribute at least 12 separate press releases aimed at traditional media outlets across the duration of the campaign. 3. Secure at least one Op - Ed each quarter in a Scottish national media title to help make CAS a key voice in the debate about climate change in Scotland. 4. Schedule at least three energy efficiency home improvement posts once a week on our newly created Instagram and Pinterest accounts SECTION 6: CAMPAIGN MESSAGING Our public relations plan on clim ate change is narrowly focused on improv ing household energy efficiency The plan is set around an overarching key message on CAS’s view on the benefits of doing so to an individual and for our wider societ y: Good for your pocket, good for our planet Throu ghout the year - long campaign, we will also ensure our messaging is tailored to suit individual campaign - critical publics. Homeowners More people in Scotland own their home rather than rent it 14 W e need to let them know they can improve their home, cut their fuels and help the environment simply by improving their energy efficiency by taking advantage of schemes that exist to support them. KEY MESSAGE: You want to reduce your energy bills and we can help you. 14 Scottish Household Survey, 2020 CAS BUREAUX NETWORK Our 59 bureaux and our volunteers are the beating heart of our organisation They want to respond to our service user’s needs, and we must ensure they understand the campaign and are given the tools to make it a success. KEY MESSAGE: The public care about climate change and we must evolve to enable service users to cut their fuel bills and their carbon emissions. TRADITIONAL MEDIA CAS has an established media p resence as an authoritative voice on social security and poverty issues 15 . We need to utilise that platform to talk about fuel poverty and link it to the Scottish Government’s climate targets. Through our outreach to the media we must explain the benefits to individuals of taking action to improve their energy efficiency and wa rn of the dangers if we don’t as a society cut carbon emissions from household heating. KEY MESSAGE: Improving household energy efficiency is mission critical to the Scottish Government meeting its climate targets SOCIAL MEDIA USERS Social media sites, in particular Pinterest and Instagram, have significant user communities who are interested in home improvement ideas. We must develop content based around framing improving energy efficiency that will not only improve their home but en able them to showcase to their networks they are environmentally conscious. KEY MESSAGE: Upgrade your home and show your network you care about their environment. SECTION 7 : STRATEGY, TACTICS AN D EVALUATION Communicating in a Changing Climate is underpinned by clear strategic aims. 15 The Herald These are: Increase take - u p of energy efficiency improvement loans Position CAS as a leading voice on climate change in Scotland Broaden CAS’s service user base In addition to tailoring key messages to individual publ ics, the plan also proposes differing tactics to carry our messages to relevant stakeholders. These include press releases, social media posts, photo - ops , Op - Eds and communication to government officials. Through utilising these methods, we believe our ov erarching message of energy efficiency being good for your pocket, good for the planet will meet our primary objective of ensuring a minimum of 2 , 000 service users apply for a Home Energy Scotland loan. Liaising with our bureaux network will be crucial to the campaign’s success. This will include providing template press releases for volunteers to distribute to local media , bureaux updating on the number of service users applying for the scheme and providing relevant case studies for national press releases As this is a year - long campaign, evaluating the impact of our output at quarterly intervals will enable the campaign to adapt its messaging if required In addition to the evaluations proposed in the table below, we believe sending a survey to bureaux h alfway through the campaign would be beneficial. This would give us qualitative feedback on how our staff and volunteers believe the plan is landing at a grassroots level and how our local press release templates could be improved upon. Start End Q3 2021 Q4 2021 Q1 2021 Q3 2022 Survey to bureaux staff/volunteers Quarter - on - quarter comparison of: Number of service user loan applications Social media engagement Press release out p ut Evaluate volume of coverage in traditional media Qualitative feedback from Scottish Government 12 SECTION 8: APPENDI X Good for your pocket, good for our planet Tactic Public Frequency Evaluation Budget Press release to Scottish national media titles Traditional media, homeowners Monthly (12, yearly total) Count outputs, measure number of organic articles through Google News and compare results quarterly £0 Template press release to local media titles Traditional media, homeowners Monthly (12) Count number of bureaux template downloads £0 Pinterest posts Social media users Three per week (156) Count output, track repins , track, compare results from one quarter to next £0 Instagram posts Social media users Three per week (156) Count output, measure likes and follower growth , compare quarterly £0 Photo - ops Traditional media, social media users Quarterly (4) Count output, features in press £250 per session, £1000 Op - Eds and letters to editors Traditional media Op - Eds quarterly, letters to editor at appropriate external moments Count output, track volume of coverage £0 Letter to relevant government ministers and key civil servants Scottish Government Quarterly update to Scottish Government on number of service users helped Count output and public affairs colleagues will report on the feedback from Ministers and civil servants £0 APPENDIX A: SWOT ANA LYSI S OF ORGANI SATIO N AND SI TUATI ON Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats CAS is already a respected voice in Scottish media on issues such as social security provision. Public debate on climate largely focussed on corporations, not individual actions. Retrofitting homes to improve energy efficiency is set to become a key component of Scottish Government net zero policy. Increasing external media outreach on climate issues may lessen interest in CAS’s core work on improving social security system and inc reasing benefits take - up. Track record of helping people access grants and services they are entitled to. Most people unaware of the importance of energy efficiency in reaching net zero. Few voices in Scotland on how going green is not only good for the planet, but directly good for consumer’s pockets. Already existing third - sector climate groups and campaign organisations with track record on subject. Opinion polls show most Scots are concerned about climate change and want action taken on it. Previous CAS communications on fuel poverty have failed to make the link to climate change. Becoming a leading voice on climate change could attract new donations from environmentally concerned citizens. Questions could be raised on what steps CAS has taken to imp rove its own energy efficiency of bureaux network. Scottish Government has set a legal target to reach net zero by 2045, ensuring it is a public policy priority for a generation Reliance on volunteers to cascade comms messaging and materials. CAS could gain new government contracts and funding streams as a delivery vehicle for home upgrades. Increased interest in climate change among the public could prove to be temporary.