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Is this what the climate movement’s been missing?
Enter: social licence
Tegan Lerm
October 13, 2025
For more than a century, the fossil fuel industry has told the same story: energy means prosperity, prosperity means stability, stability means a good life. It’s a simple, sticky story. One that’s been woven into the fabric of our society.
Meanwhile, those of us working for a more fair, just future seem to change our language every few years. Global warming. Net zero. Scope 3. Transition. We craft clever messaging, polish talking points, fight misinformation, then wonder why the public conversation still feels like swimming upstream…
An Australian Financial Review piece recently made the point bluntly: “Social licence must be treated as a strategic priority, not an afterthought.” It stuck with me, because that’s exactly what the fossil fuel industry has done for a hundred years — and exactly what climate movements often fail to do.
PS. Want to learn how to build and execute a social media strategy to capture attention, gain supporters and create change? Join the waitlist for our next Social Shift intensive. Find our more here or book in a time to chat!