The climate right for PR change?

UN Foundation Calls In PR Firms And Ex-Gore Aide For Global Climate Change Project

 

Switzerland's decreasing glaciers: UN photo by Jean-Marc Ferré

 
Arun Sudhaman reported over the weekend from Washington that the UN has pulled in three new PR firms and a new senior executive to drive a major new global assignment focusing on climate change.The public charity that supports the UN's causes is set to begin a two-year project to boost awareness and understanding of climate change problems.

The UN Foundation has named former Al Gore spokesperson Kalee Kreider to head the effort. Kreider arrives after rejoining Fenton Communications last year. It has chosen Havas PR to lead global PR for the effort, supported by Grayling in Asia and Glover Park Group to provide specialist research.

The climate change initiative will be the latest in a series of high-profile campaigns from the UN Foundation. Previous efforts have focused on such areas as child health; energy; and female development. UN Foundation communications and PR VP Aaron Sherinian told the Holmes Report that one of the challenges the programme will tackle is ongoing climate science scepticism.
 
Last year, Weber Shandwick was hired to lead the Sustainable Energy for All project, which seeks to improve energy efficiency and achieve universal energy access. The climate change project will also attempt to enable "the community to work to improve messaging and communications around those issues, particularly in a digital media era." Defining that community will form part of the challenge. Iceberg?

Sherinian pointed to a diverse stakeholder group, including "organizations large and small; the science community; the business community; and government leaders at a local and global level." The UN Foundation selected the three firms following what Sherinian characterised as a "limited RFP." The organization works with numerous PR agencies.  

APCO leads the Shot@Life campaign, while Fenton Communications oversees the #GivingTuesday push. Fleishman-Hillard handles the Foundation's corporate PR requirements.

FYI... the UN Foundation launched in 1998 with a $1bn grant from Ted Turner, and aims to encourage donations that support the United Nations in executing its programs worldwide.