To watch our short film - Click here

Work under-the-radar
Co-ordinate people & groups who support wind into dynamic ‘Yes’ campaigns

To watch our short film - Click here

Nimbys know how to get organised. Opposition to wind farms is usually led by well resourced & well connected people. They successfully use fear to whip up opposition & they appeal to the worst excesses of the media's desire for sensation.

Most wind farm developers haven't yet developed reliable & repeatable strategies to counter the Nimby threat. And yet there are lots of people in every community who support wind turbines.

By investing a small amount of time & money in bringing supporters together we can tip the balance in your favour.

Local environmentalists are instinctively supportive but often disorganised. Environmental action is also split between many different groups, for example local branches of the Transition movement & Friends of the Earth. We can co-ordinate the support of local environmentalists by ensuring they work together.

In every village there are also individuals who support wind turbines. But often they won't know how to get involved in supporting your project, or will feel intimidated by anti-wind campaigners. We can find them & motivate them to speak out in favour of your project.

Schools teachers, church leaders & local traders may also see the benefits your project will bring to the local community. We can help them identify these benefits & channel their positive support.

Community liaisons
In addition to those who've already made up their minds to support renewable energy schemes there will always be others who'll offer their support if they can identify specific additional community benefits. We can work with you to identify areas where a bit of extra effort will help.

For example, by promising to build a website that explains wind technology & shows the amount of power being generated by your wind farm at any given moment, you may win additional support from school governors or head teachers who can see the advantages of bringing the school curriculum alive.

Media management
Nimbys are great at engendering fear of change, aided & abetted by the local media. Local people against the machine of industry is presented as the perfect David & Goliath story.

By working alongside wind farm supporters we can deliver photo opportunities, features, & a positive change narrative for the local media.

By encouraging supporters to write letters to the editor we can help ensure balance.

By embracing new media opportunities, such as Twitter & Facebook, we can provoke support from younger community members.

By training local people before they appear on radio & TV we can make sure every media opportunity provokes the right response.

Spin control
Much of the information produced by Nimby groups is sensational, misleading & out of date.

By working with your experts & with RenewableUK press officers we can counter misinformation & anti-wind spin. We can talk directly to editors. We can ensure a right of reply. We can identify key messages to neutralise opposition arguments. We can write letters & articles on your behalf.

Advocacy
Co-ordinating support on the streets & managing the local media is very important, but elected planning committee members will decide the fate of your development - & they rely on local people for votes. Nimbys are often very good at creating a sense that a vote in favour of a wind farm is a betrayal of both the local community & the countryside. We can help to change that.

We can assess the potential support of each committee member & devise advocacy strategies to get them on side.

Physically demonstrating the level of public support in favour of a wind farm is part of the solution, for example through petitions, letters, & the number of people actually sitting in the public gallery when decisions are made. But building a written case that responds to individual concerns & prejudices will help ensure your development is given the best chance of success.


Case studies

For examples of campaigns run by Costain Communications - Click here

Customers for renewable energy
In 2009 on the Isle of Man we worked with local groups & politicians to persuade the Manx Electricity Authority (MEA) to introduce a renewable energy tariff. Dedicated campaigning in the local media, on the ground & on-line delivered a clear message to the MEA Board. A green tariff will be introduced later this year.

Phil Corlett, Isle of Man Friends of the Earth:
'The expertise supplied by Costain Communications meant we were able to run a co-ordinated & successful campaign to win a commitment to renewable energy from the MEA. By the time we'd finished pushing the issue with the press, local people & government, their agreement was the only possible outcome.'

I Love Manx
Between 2006 & 2008 we ran a successful local food campaign on the Isle of Man. Sales of local food had plummeted because of changing tastes & quality issues. Manx farmers desperately needed support. We built a coalition of over a hundred organisations & innovated media opportunities, including the Manx Food Show which ran for two series on public service radio. Demand for local produce increased significantly & food imports fell. Farmers' markets were also established.

Phil Gawne, Minister of Agriculture:
'There's no doubt that without the campaigning knowledge & enthusiasm supplied by Costain Communications we'd not have been as successful in winning the support of local people for local food & farming.'

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