Free checklist · NGOs and brands

Climate and Sustainability Communication Checklist (COP31 Edition)

Use this checklist before you publish a climate report, launch a sustainability campaign or promote a COP31 side event. It covers strategy, evidence for claims, messaging, paid ads on Meta, LinkedIn and Google, events in Antalya, visibility on search engines and AI assistants, and follow-up after the conference.

Get the printable PDF See the COP31 service

By Barış Yaşbala, Founder, Multiligo · Last updated 24 October 2026

How should you use this climate communication checklist?

Go through it with the person who owns the message and the person who owns the budget. Tick an item only when there is evidence, not intention. Unticked items in the claims and paid-channel sections should be fixed before anything goes live; the others can be improved while the campaign runs.

Strategy and audience: what must be decided first?

Decide what you want people to do, who those people are and how you will know it worked. Climate communication fails most often because it tries to inform everyone instead of moving a defined audience to one action within a defined period.

0 of 6 done

One primary goal: registrations, downloads, meetings, donations or policy sign-ons.
A named primary audience, with roles, organisations or locations written down.
A secondary audience and the message adapted for it.
One measurable target and a date for reviewing it.
A single spokesperson and an approval path that works within 24 hours.
A budget split between before, during and after the conference.

Claims and credibility: how do you avoid greenwashing?

Every environmental claim needs specific, current evidence that you can show on request. In the EU, new rules against generic environmental claims and misleading sustainability labels apply from 27 September 2026, and Türkiye and the UK already have guidance for environmental claims in advertising.

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No generic claims such as “eco-friendly” or “green” without recognised proof of performance.
Each claim states its scope: product, site, organisation or programme.
Figures carry a baseline year, a method and a source.
Neutrality or “net zero” claims do not rely on offsets alone and explain what is reduced.
Labels and certifications are real schemes, named and linked.
Future targets are separated from results already achieved.
A second person has checked every number against its source.

Directive (EU) 2024/825 concerns business-to-consumer communication; NGOs that do not sell to consumers are generally outside its scope, but meeting the same evidence standard protects their credibility too.

Messaging and storytelling: what makes climate content land?

Lead with what changes for people, then the evidence, then the ask. Concrete places, people and numbers travel further than abstract urgency, and a message that offers a next step keeps attention after the headline is forgotten.

0 of 7 done

A one-sentence key message that a journalist could quote without editing.
Three supporting points, each with one fact and one example.
A human story or place that makes the issue local.
Plain language: no acronym used without explaining it once.
A clear call to action on every asset.
Visuals that show solutions and people, not only disaster imagery.
English and local-language versions checked by native speakers.

Paid channels: what to check before Meta, LinkedIn and Google ads go live?

Check the rules, the tracking and the targeting before the creatives. Climate advocacy can count as a social issue ad on Meta, untracked campaigns cannot be optimised, and geo-targeting around a conference venue only works when the radius, timing and language settings are deliberate.

0 of 9 done

Meta advertiser authorisation and “Paid for by” disclaimer in place if the ads concern social issues.
Conversion tracking tested on every form and registration page.
UTM parameters on every link, including partner and influencer posts.
Location radiuses drawn around the venue, hotels and airport, kept as separate ad sets.
Language and interest layers so local non-attendees are not paying traffic.
Frequency caps set for small conference audiences.
LinkedIn audiences built by job function, seniority and target organisations.
Google Ad Grants eligibility checked for NGOs before paying for search.
A daily budget ceiling and a named person who can pause ads at any time.

Events and side events: what should be ready for COP31 week?

Know who can physically attend, when the venue is busy and how people register. At COP31 the Blue Zone is limited to accredited participants, the Green Zone is closed to visitors during the Leaders’ Summit on 11–12 November, and the premises are closed on Sunday 15 November.

0 of 6 done

Event zone confirmed: Blue Zone (accredited only), Green Zone or a venue in the city.
Registration page with date, Türkiye time (UTC+3), room, speakers and a calendar link.
Livestream or recording plan for people who cannot attend.
Speaker quotes, photos and a press note prepared before the day.
Invitations sent to journalists and partner networks one week ahead.
Someone on the ground posting live and collecting contacts.

Search and AI visibility: how do you get cited by Google and AI assistants?

Publish the facts people and AI assistants look for, in a form they can quote. Answer-first pages with clear headings, dates, sources and structured data are easier for Google to rank and for assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to cite accurately.

0 of 6 done

A dedicated page for each report, event or campaign, in English.
Question-style headings followed by a two-to-three sentence direct answer.
Dates, places, speakers and figures in text, not only in images or PDFs.
Structured data for the organisation, events, articles and FAQs.
Sources linked for every statistic.
The same organisation description used on your site, LinkedIn and partner pages.

After the conference: how do you turn attention into results?

Follow up while the conference is still fresh. Most meetings and partnerships come from contacts made in the two weeks after COP31, so plan recap content, retargeting and personal follow-up before you travel, not after you return.

0 of 5 done

Every new contact logged within 48 hours, with the next step agreed.
Recap post, video and key quotes published within a week.
Retargeting ads for people who engaged during the conference.
Results reported against the goal set at the start.
Lessons written down for the next COP and the next campaign.

Frequently asked questions

Is the climate communication checklist free?

Yes. The full checklist is on this page. Leave your details in the form to download the printable PDF version, and tick the box if you would like our team to review your COP31 communication plan.

Which greenwashing rules apply to climate communication in 2026?

In the EU, Directive (EU) 2024/825 applies from 27 September 2026 and targets generic environmental claims, misleading sustainability labels and some offset-based claims. In Türkiye, the Ministry of Trade’s guideline on environmental claims in advertising has applied since December 2022. The UK has the CMA Green Claims Code.

Does the checklist only apply to COP31?

No. The strategy, claims, messaging, paid-channel and search sections apply to any climate or sustainability campaign. Only the events section is specific to COP31 in Antalya.

Can Multiligo run the campaign after we complete the checklist?

Yes. Our team plans and runs Meta, LinkedIn and Google campaigns, side-event promotion and SEO/GEO for COP31. See our COP31 climate communication service.

Download the printable checklist (PDF)

Leave your details to get the printable version for your team. Tick the box if you would like us to review your plan.

How should you use this climate communication checklist?

Strategy and audience: what must be decided first?

Claims and credibility: how do you avoid greenwashing?

Messaging and storytelling: what makes climate content land?

Paid channels: what to check before Meta, LinkedIn and Google ads go live?

Events and side events: what should be ready for COP31 week?

Search and AI visibility: how do you get cited by Google and AI assistants?

After the conference: how do you turn attention into results?

Frequently asked questions

Is the climate communication checklist free?

Which greenwashing rules apply to climate communication in 2026?

Does the checklist only apply to COP31?

Can Multiligo run the campaign after we complete the checklist?

Download the printable checklist (PDF)

Official sources