How to Have Impactful Conversations About Voting for the Planet This Federal Election

We don’t have time to wait for another devastating natural disaster to have important conversations about climate change with the people in our lives. We break down how to have impactful conversations about putting the planet first this federal election.

Climate Change Has Fallen Off the Radar

According to two joint surveys by Roy Morgan, the issue of ‘global warming and climate change’ has dropped 9% in importance to voters between June 2022 and September 2024, from 32% to 23%.

ABC’s Vote Compass showed similar results, with 29% of people saying climate change is an important factor for them in the 2022 federal election. It was the most common number one issue among Australians. Now, despite increasing floods and fires, and the Labor government approving 32 gas and coal projects since taking office, climate change has barely made a blip in the election campaign so far. 

Black Summer Bushfires | Photo by Anouk Berney

So how do we ensure climate action remains at the forefront of people’s minds when it comes time to vote? 

Let’s break down ways to have impactful conversations with people in your life about voting for climate and putting the planet first this election. 

1. Choose Your Battles Wisely

Conversations about climate change can be daunting and disheartening, especially if you’re having them with people who actively oppose your views and values.

It’s an easy mistake to make, thinking people who vehemently disagree with you are the ones whose minds need changing. In reality, the true power lies with the people who are undecided, or better yet, agree with you but have yet to take action.

Introducing the Spectrum of Allies

When it comes to action on climate change, everyone falls somewhere along this spectrum.

Rather than getting into a heated debate with an active climate denier who isn’t going to change their mind (guilty!), focus on chatting to people who fall into the middle wedges – passive opposition, neutral, passive allies – and aim to have a conversation that moves them one step towards active allies.

These conversations will be more positive and constructive for both of you!

2. Make the Effort to Start the Conversation – In Person is Best

Talking about climate change openly with the people in our lives is incredibly important, as it affects all of us in real and tangible ways. So be brave and be the person to bring it up. 

Try asking, ‘Have you thought about who you’ll be voting for in the election?’

Talking to people face-to-face, no matter what the topic, is the most effective way to relate to someone and ensure your message isn’t misinterpreted. It allows for proper discussion in which you can read the person’s body language, hear their tone of voice, and break down barriers that naturally occur when communicating through a screen. 

If an in-person conversation isn’t possible, calling someone is the next best thing. In saying that, a conversation over text is better than no conversation, just be conscious of the ways you could both be misinterpreted. Get chatting!

@epicantus

3. Remember it’s a Discussion, Not a Lecture

It’s a climate change conversation, not a monologue. If you’re speaking more than half the time, you’re talking too much. 

To help keep the conversation even, ask open-ended, non-judgmental questions while actually listening to what the other person has to say. Ask follow-up questions if you need to and take the time to repeat back what you’ve heard to show you understand. You might even find some common ground to agree on. 

Questions to consider asking;

• How has climate change affected you?
• Are you worried about what the future may look like without climate action?
• Is climate change an important issue for you this election? Why/why not?
• Do you think enough is being done by Australian politicians to combat climate change?
• Could climate change policy be the deciding factor in who gets your vote? Why/why not?
• What do you know about each party’s climate policy?

4. Use Real Life Examples & Back Them Up With Facts

People don’t relate to numbers as well as they relate to stories. The science and stats on climate change are confusing and overwhelming, and often don’t mean much to the average person. 

Throwing hard facts and figures at a person to convince them to take action isn’t very effective. Neither is relying on distant examples that are difficult to relate to. But climate change is no longer a distant issue – millions of Aussies have lived experiences of climate change. It’s here and it’s happening now. The best way to relate to people is through their own lived experiences and validating them with a few digestible stats.

For example, millions of people in Sydney and on the East Coast will vividly recall living through months of smoke-filled skies during the Black Summer Bushfires. What they might not recall is that more people died as a direct result of smoke inhalation than the fires themselves, with 445 deaths recorded and over 4,000 hospitalisations.

@harlimarten

5. Direct People to a Trusted Source to Find Where Their Values Align

Some people may find there’s a disconnect between the political party they usually vote for and how their values and beliefs stack up. It’s unlikely a single conversation is enough to undo years of loyalty. But as the Spectrum of Allies shows, it could be enough to get them to question it. 

There are plenty of great resources that wade through the political nonsense to give you the information you need to make an informed choice. Here are a few!

ABC Vote Compass

Political scientists have developed Vote Compass to help you figure out where you sit on the political spectrum and which parties’ policies align with your values. You’ll be asked a series of topical questions and have the chance to rate how you feel about them on a scale from ‘Strongly Disagree’ to ‘Strongly Agree’.

Build a Ballot

Build a Ballot is a new tool that helps you figure out how your voting preferences should fall according to your values. You’re asked a series of questions about different topics and issues, before being presented with a score out of 100 of how your answers line up with the values and policies of the candidates on the ballots in your electorate. You’re then able to arrange the candidates and parties in your order of preference and save it for election day.

They Vote For You

They Vote For You is a handy tool that allows you to see how your current Member of Parliament votes on issues and bills brought up in the House of Representatives. It’s easy to see whether your current representative has your interests at heart and whether they stick to their promises. 

And if you’ve managed to convince someone to Put The Planet First, send them to one of these sites to help them find someone they can vote for who aligns with their values.

Climate 200

Climate 200‘s candidates page helps you find independent candidates in your electorate who are backed by Climate 200 and have climate action as a policy priority. 

Traffic Light Voting

Traffic Light Voting has a voting guide for every electorate around Australia that scores each candidate on their climate change policy with either a green, orange, or red light.

Feature photo by @evadavisboermans