One year on from the CLIMATES initiative, experts highlighted that technical solutions alone will not deliver change at the pace required. Instead, the sector must better connect climate action to people’s everyday lives and priorities.

This episode of CIHT Transport Talks podcast hears from experts reflecting on the findings of the CLIMATES project – a major programme involving more than 300 professionals exploring how the sector can respond to climate change over the next decade. 

Featuring:

• Professor Glenn Lyons, immediate past president of CIHT, and Mark McDonald's, professor of Future Mobility at UWE Bristol.
• Claire Haig, founder and CEO of Greener Vision. Claire is also executive director of the Transport Knowledge Hub and creator of the Tabular Project.
• Annette Smith, Project Director at Mark McDonald.

Listen here:  (please note that CIHT podcast series 'Transport Talks' is available on most channels including Apple and Spotify.)

Professor Glenn Lyons emphasised the importance of shifting how the story is told:

What we now need is… positively oriented storytelling to engage the public and encourage recognition that climate action is needed.

He explained that messaging should focus not just on risks, but on tangible benefits:

Taking action isn’t just an altruistic thing… it can actually benefit us as individuals directly in terms of our health, our wellbeing… and indeed our finances

Speakers noted that climate change can often feel overwhelming or distant, making it harder for individuals to engage. Framing action through local improvements—such as cleaner air, healthier lifestyles, and stronger communities—was seen as critical to making the issue more relatable.

Annette Smith highlighted how effective communication can inspire behaviour change:

It also encourages you as an individual to take action and think how you can do it.

The discussion also recognised the growing challenge of misinformation and politicisation, which can undermine public understanding. Claire Haigh stressed the need for clearer and more accessible communication:

There’s a big comms and education job on our hands

Despite this, speakers were clear that there is a strong foundation for optimism. By combining compelling storytelling with practical action, the transport sector has a significant opportunity to build momentum for change.

As Professor Lyons concluded, the role of the profession is not only to deliver infrastructure, but to shape how people understand and engage with the transition ahead:

Positively oriented storytelling… is a key part of what we need to be doing.

The message from CIHT is clear: telling a more positive, human-centred story about climate action will be essential to unlocking wider support and accelerating progress.

CIHT CLIMATES was published a year ago, this is part of a short series to update CIHT members and sector around the latest thinking on CIHT CLIMATES in 2026.