Climate outreach fails to reach frontline communities when it relies on technical jargon, data-dense presentations, and literal translations that lack cultural context; framing issues in political or scientific language rather than the tangible health, safety, and affordability impacts that connect with residents’ daily lives and motivate action.

• Illustrative Example: In the Pajaro Valley, the TCC planning team explicitly reframed their entire community engagement strategy away from greenhouse gas emissions and toward health and safety outcomes, finding that conversations about pedestrian safety, affordable housing, and food access were what moved residents to participate — while emissions-first framing produced little engagement.