Comedy Meets Climate - Using Humour to Navigate Sustainability

This conversation was featured on FuturePlus’s Business of Sustainability podcast, where we explore how smart businesses turn sustainability challenges into competitive advantages. You can listen to the episode at the links above.

Climate change can feel overwhelming. For many sustainability professionals, the weight of environmental challenges creates a daily struggle between urgency and despair. But what if humour could help us navigate these difficult conversations more effectively?

In a recent episode of the Business of Sustainability podcast, we sat down with award-winning comedian Stuart Goldsmith to explore how comedy can become a powerful tool for climate communication. Stuart's journey from traditional stand-up to "sustainable comedy" offers valuable lessons for anyone trying to engage others on environmental issues.

#From Eco-Anxiety to Edinburgh Success

Stuart's path into climate comedy began with his own "burgeoning eco dread." As he put it, "I started to feel like no one's talking about this... I wasn't having conversations with any of my friends." This personal struggle served as the foundation for his Edinburgh Festival show, "Spoilers," which ranked among the top 50 best-reviewed comedy shows.

Rather than ignore his climate anxiety, Stuart turned it into material. "In comedy, we say that the problems are the material," he explained. "Anytime you see a comedian's act, they're always wrestling with something. That's where you get the comedy juice out of it."

#The Power of Saying the Unsayable

One of Stuart's key insights is that comedians have permission to say what others cannot. While sustainability professionals often feel constrained by corporate environments, comedians are "celebrated for saying the unsayable."

This creates a unique opportunity. As Stuart noted, when he performs for sustainability audiences, "it's almost like they breathe a sigh of relief. They're like, 'Oh, thank God.'" He helps people articulate feelings they've been carrying but couldn't express professionally.

The metaphor Stuart uses is potent: feeling like you're "falling down a well" every time you encounter climate news. "I don't think that the tools to fight the climate crisis are at the bottom of a well," he said. "We all have to climb back up out of it."

#Walking the Comedy Tightrope

Using humour for climate communication requires careful balance. Stuart identified the danger of comedy that simply says "aren't we all screwed?" without offering any path forward. Equally problematic is overly optimistic messaging that feels like "Christian rock music",  suspiciously agenda-driven.

The sweet spot lies between these extremes. Stuart's approach acknowledges the reality of climate challenges while avoiding both doom and false cheerfulness. He's not trying to be "holier than thou," readily admitting he's "not a vegan" and still flies occasionally.

#Climate Confessions: Breaking Down Barriers

One of the most engaging elements of Stuart's show is "climate confessions" - moments where audience members share their environmental hypocrisies. These range from forgotten reusable cups to elaborate air conditioning rituals during heatwaves.

This technique serves multiple purposes. It establishes that "none of us are perfect," creates community around shared struggles, and allows for an examination of why certain behaviours particularly upset us. As Stuart observed, sometimes the audience's strongest reactions come from perceived hypocrisy rather than actual environmental harm.

#Business Applications

For organisations, Stuart's approach offers several practical lessons:

• Create safe spaces for honesty: Rather than demanding perfect environmental behaviour, acknowledge that everyone struggles with sustainability choices. This reduces defensiveness and opens genuine dialogue.

• Focus on empowerment over guilt: Instead of making people feel inadequate about their choices, help them understand their options and make informed decisions.

• Use storytelling: Personal narratives and relatable examples are more engaging than abstract statistics or corporate messaging.

• Remember your role: As Stuart's favourite quote reminds us, "You don't have to play a solo, but you do have to know what instrument you're playing" in the "Save the World Symphony."

#The Optimism Challenge

Despite the serious nature of climate issues, Stuart maintains cautious optimism. He believes that as environmental impacts accelerate, people won't become numb to them, and the speed of change will keep the issues visible and urgent.

For younger generations feeling overwhelmed by inherited environmental problems, the message is one of agency: there are many ways to help beyond extreme activism. Not everyone needs to "glue themselves to something"; there are support roles, communication roles, and countless other ways to contribute.

#Moving Forward with Humour

Stuart's work demonstrates that humour doesn't trivialise serious issues; it makes them more approachable. By creating space for honesty, vulnerability, and shared experience, comedy can help organisations and individuals move from paralysis to action.

The goal isn't to make climate change funny, but to make conversations about it more human, more honest, and ultimately more effective. In a world where many people feel isolated by their environmental concerns, laughter can serve as a bridge that brings us together to face these challenges collectively.

As Stuart reminds us, we don't need to solve everything on our own. We just need to find our instrument in the symphony and play our part,  preferably with a smile.

Want to explore how humour can transform your sustainability communications? Contact Future Plus to learn more about innovative approaches to sustainability engagement, management and measurement.

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