Can a short film spark political action on the climate emergency?
Last week, I went to the first Huddersfield screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing film. It’s part of the National Emergency Briefing campaign to encourage the UK government to fulfil its commitment to inform politicians and the public about the risks of the climate crisis.
The film is based around clips from an event hosted in Whitehall in November, featuring experts presenting the essentials of the climate crisis – from the essential science to the risks for health, food and national security. Framing that, members of the general public (and a couple of minor celebrities providing comic relief) share their reactions with host Chris Packham.
I was glad to see a full house for the event, though it did feel like preaching to the converted. People who already have an awareness and interest in climate issues are much more likely to come out on a midweek evening for a documentary and group discussion. But that’s OK. These community screenings are intended to raise awareness and pressure for a national televised briefing event of the kind we had during the Covid pandemic.
Surveys have repeatedly shown that the overwhelming majority of people do accept the reality of the climate crisis, and want the government to take more action. Part of the problem is that most people underestimate that breadth of support, thanks to a noisy minority with an out-sized voice in some media.
The outright denialists probably won’t be swayed by the film or by any expert briefing. Indeed, some would be put off just by the involvement of Chris Packham, a hate figure for some parts of the right wing.
But no piece of communication is going to reach everyone. The target for this campaign is the majority of people who recognise the problem, but maybe don’t appreciate the urgency of the crisis, or are distracted by more immediate issues and problems.
The political focus can be moved. It’s only a few years since the UK proudly hosted the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, and even right-wing populists declared the need for urgent action.
As a piece of climate communications, it’s a good film. It covers all the major aspects of the crisis in a very clear way, and the framing discussions help humanise the risks. Crucially, it’s structured to deliver a sense of hopeful urgency – starting with the civilisation-ending consequences of inaction, but closing by showing that some things are moving in the right direction. There is a way out of this mess.
Screenings of the People’s Emergency Briefing continue around the UK (see the screening map for full details), including further dates in Huddersfield and Kirklees supported by the Kirklees Climate Commission.