We are the Oxford University Climate Leadership Research Centre.

We believe that all leaders can be Climate Leaders.

It’s our mission to empower higher-profile individuals with the skills and confidence to talk to their peers and followers about climate change.

Politicians, sportspeople and business leaders are uniquely placed to influence other peoples’ attitudes and behaviours around climate change.

For too long, climate silence has pervaded public forums. Many individuals worry that talking about the climate will make them unpopular, lose them votes, followers, sponsorship or business.

Talking about climate action is not yet normal. We want to change this.

Led by researchers at the University of Oxford and funded by the Askehave Climate Foundation, we will use rigorous research methods to understand how and why already successful climate leaders advocate to climate action. We’re using these findings to support other influential individuals on their climate-leadership journeys.

We will provide free, research-based interventions to cohorts of would-be climate leaders from politics, business and sport: people who are already climate-concerned and who want to understand how to open the conversations with others, encouraging them to action.

So how can you get involved?

We’re looking for two groups of people:

Established climate leaders: People with a history of taking climate actions in their spheres of influence;
Climate-curious leaders: Influential individuals who aren’t quite at the stage of talking about climate change publicly, but want the information and support to help them do so.

‘Influential’ is a flexible idea: it could, for example, mean an elected politician, a person responsible for a business or business segment, or a sportsperson with a significant social media following. If you feel like you fit into one of these categories please reach out to us on EMAIL.

Talking about climate action is not yet normal. We want to change this.

We’re working with an incredible network of established groups whose expertise lies in helping leaders find their climate voices.

We know that stories are memorable and help people make sense of complex issues. A Hollywood screenwriter will deliver workshops on effective storytelling.
Climate Change Coaches are a certified B-Corp who have pioneered climate change coaching and have helped many organisations enable change.
Climate Outreach are an Oxford-based who are expert on climate communication and public engagement. They have developed an evidence base for communicating climate messages to a variety of audiences.

PledgeBall is a charity founded to help sport lead the charge towards a more sustainable future. They have provided leadership via their pledge approach, combining personal climate commitment with competition, as fan-groups compete on climate pledges
Sport Positive supports the global sports community to increase ambition and take action on climate change, sustainability, biodiversity and environmental justice. They connect industry stakeholders globally, host an annual Summit in collaboration with UNFCCC and IOC and undertake research.