Green Urbanist - Sustainable Placemaking, Planning and Urban Design #112: How to make sustainability irresistible
Apr 13, 2025
Virginia Cinquemani, a coach and Director at Green Gorilla, shares insights from her book 'The Good Communicator' on how to effectively promote sustainability. She discusses overcoming resistance to sustainable practices by understanding human motivations and the importance of co-creation. Virginia emphasizes using pilot projects as a confidence-building tool and highlights the need for tailored communication strategies that resonate with diverse stakeholders. With a focus on engaging communities, she advocates for empathy and collaboration in sustainability efforts.
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Human Resistance to Sustainability
- The main barrier to mainstream sustainability is human resistance to change, not costs or lack of solutions.
- People fear risk and discomfort, while sustainability professionals often fail to communicate simply or persuasively.
Expertise Changes Perceptions
- A quantity surveyor priced timber framing as very expensive due to inexperience.
- When replaced by an expert, the price matched or beat concrete, showing how perception affects costs.
Know Your Audience First
- Research your audience thoroughly before meetings to tailor your communication effectively.
- Use small talk and social insights to build rapport and ease the conversation.