This chapter discusses three key challenges in constructing successful messages for the climate movement. The first challenge concerns understanding the collective identities of the diverse individuals and groups that together make up the climate movement. The second challenge is that messages are not just made up of words, but also actions. Drawing from Tarrow’s three collective action repertoires (violent, disruptive, and conventional), the chapter explores how actions and words can work together to construct messages. The third challenge concerns the relationship between movement ethos and messages. Which action adheres to which repertoire varies globally, which affects the suitability of words and their impression on the public.

Finally, the chapter elaborates on the complexities posed by the intricate relationship between movement and the form(s) of the messages. Conceptualising actions as a “performed” message that complements or clashes with the words used, enables better understanding of how these diverse climate movement groups’ messages are received, as well as how they contribute to the perception of the climate movement as a whole. Communicating climate change mitigation and adaptation and mobilising action are not easy, but understanding how to deal with these challenges can help the wider climate movement make more strategic communication efforts.