Speaking on Climate: An Interview with Author Rune Kier Nielsen

The climate crisis won’t wait—are you eager to speak up and inspire change? Speaking on Climate is a rousing guide that breaks down the common pitfalls of climate rhetoric and how you can avoid them through creating effective speeches that will motivate audiences to make meaningful change.

Today author Rune Kier Nielson joins us to share his inspirations, discuss impactful speeches, and give advice to aspiring climate activists.

**What made you want to write Speaking on Climate?**

My daughter Ida was born in May 2009 and by December of that year I stood in the window of our home with my little baby girl in my arms watching as activists marched for higher ambitions at COP15 in Copenhagen. I shared their enthusiasm then and their disappointment afterward. And I realized that we must all use the skills we have to push for a better future. I became a speechwriter for the Danish Government, but I also saw many young people committed to climate action yet without the skills to speak up, change minds, and push for action.

The aim of my book is to democratize climate rhetoric so that the young activists struggling for climate action have the same tools as the experienced lobbyists working against us and the decision-makers able to enact what is needed. Buy the book, borrow it at the library or from a friend, give it as a gift.

What (or who) inspired you to become a climate speechwriter?

Usually, speechwriters start by listening to the ideas of leaders and try to write them into a speech form using their rhetorical skills. I came from the other way. I started as a Cultural Anthropologist studying young activists in Brazil, who had been persuaded, convinced, or even converted to engage in social movements for change and racial equality. My path led me from their commitment through their stories and experiences to the people having inspired them and how. And that was my foundation for speechwriting. When I returned to my home in Denmark, I started using what I had learned in Brazil and adapting it to the cause of climate action.

Who is your favorite speechwriter? or What is your favorite speech?

To me it is never really about the speechwriter, the speech, or the speaker. It is about the impact of the speech on the audience. Unfortunately, that is a hard thing to measure and even harder to create. I have found often the massive leaps forward have been ignited with a speech.

There are of course others who share that belief. From his role in civil society in the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. underscored the idea that speeches should aim to effect social and political change and former President Barack Obama did the same from his seat in the White House. In the United Kingdom former prime minister Winston Churchill designed his rhetoric to inspire and mobilize people for significant action and change. I am inspired by their thoughts and the work of people helping them as well as UK speechwriting expert Simon Lancaster and US presentation expert Nancy Duarte who share my focus.

**What do you want readers to gain from reading Speaking on Climate?**

After reading Speaking for Climate, I hope you will feel confident and capable of speaking up for climate action and our planet. To me we are living through a climate emergency with an urgent need to start acting accordingly. Surveys have shown that two-thirds of young people agree with me, yet two-thirds of the same young people rarely if ever speak about climate. That leads to a whole lot of people feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders and all alone.

I want my readers to feel confident and capable of speaking their mind on the climate crisis. And I want those people feeling all alone with their concern to hear that they are not. When more of us speak up, I believe we will feel less alone and together we will be able to push for more climate action faster.

What advice would you give to people who feel too overwhelmed or discouraged to speak out about the climate?

You feel overwhelmed because you are human, and you are considering speaking out about the climate crisis because it matters to you as a human. It just so happens, that the best way to convince another human is by being a genuine human and talking about what matters most to you, why it does, and how you have come to realize it. Identification happens through feeling and persuasion happens through dedication. Muster the courage to speak and allow your audience to feel what it is like to be you and to see the world through your eyes. They might agree and feel less alone. They might disagree yet understand better your side of the matter. Or they might actually, be persuaded and join you for the action you advocate.

A Video Introduction

Listen to Rune describe how to use Speaking on Climate in the classroom and the purpose of each chapter in this detailed video introduction.

Praise for Speaking on Climate

“A lively, concise, and practical antidote to climate anxiety and a guide to positive action.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A well-done work that will empower young environmental activists and give them (and any speechwriter) an impactful handbook.” — School Library Journal

“Speaking on Climate by Rune Kier Nielsen is a crucial guide for anyone committed to using the power of words to drive meaningful climate action.” — Ingmar Rentzhog, founder & CEO, Wedonthavetime.org

“Rune Kier Nielsen’s Speaking on Climate inspires readers’ passion for climate change and equips them with the tools to communicate effectively.” — S. Kelley Harrell, author of From Elder to Ancestor: Nature Kinship for All Seasons of Life

Connect with the Author

Rune Kier Nielsen is a Social Anthropologist having studied social movements in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. He has worked as a government speechwriter for mayors in the Danish Capital of Copenhagen, the Danish Ministry for Climate and Energy as well as the Ministry for the Environment. He’s won two of the prestigious Cicero Speechwriting Awards while also writing for activists and idealists as part of the Danish Climate Movement and TEDx. He is the former Public Advocacy Lead on Climate Action at the United Nations Environment Programme—the UN’s authoritative voice on climate and the environment. Rune lives in Denmark with his wife and two kids.