Telling stories for change

A ChangeNOW 2026 special

For those who couldn’t get to Le Grand Palais to experience what we think is a masterclass in sustainable eventing, we’ve cherry-picked moments from ChangeNOW that every marcoms expert and brand owner might find useful to inspire action today. The 9th edition of ChangeNOW was a high-energy, beautifully produced meetup of scientists, economists, activists, entrepreneurs, innovators, and artists sharing the same conviction: the window for action is still open and we can still change course!

It was apparently a record-breaking gathering of people, ideas, and solutions who came together from all over the world, with 40,000 participants from 140 countries, 10,000 companies, 1,400 investors, and 780 journalists.

The pearls we have selected are of course about the power of story as that’s our jam. And big ups to B Lab, Climate Creatives and Nice and Serious for their Greenshouting guide. Link to the action part of the guide as your reward for reading to the end. 

Film for Change: From Screen To Action - A conversation about cinema as a catalyst: moving us, opening our eyes, and occasionally turning narrative into action.

Le Chant de Forêts for those who have not yet seen it, is set in the forests of the Vosges, where lynxes, bears, deer, owls, and capercaillies roam. French nature photographer Vincent Munier pays tribute to the multisensory splendour of nature. Thanks to his father Michel, a naturalist, he learned everything there is to know, and now it is time to pass on this knowledge to Simon, his son. Three perspectives, three generations, one and the same fascination for the untamed beauty of nature. 

As Pierre-Emmanual Fleurantan from Paprika Films explained, we’re experiencing the need to reconnect to nature, to slow down from a dopamine, serotonin-saturated world. The immersion into the story is really important, especially when people struggle to read and give their full attention. In the cinema, you have to put your phone down for an hour; it’s a collective experience. To keep the rhythm and keep capturing that fleeting attention, the father and son characters had to be included. The internationally relatable human dynamic of sharing wisdom across generations enabled nature to be the real hero. 

Does anyone remember the Oscar-winning ‘My Octopus Teacher’? Ellen Windmouth of Waterbear Network shared that in the beginning, no one cared about the film; all the US and EU commissioners were unconvinced. The Japanese joked that “we eat these for breakfast”. It took the eight-year-old son of a commissioning editor at Netflix to watch it with no sound to demonstrate how fascinating the story was. It became a viewing phenomenon during Covid. The narrative is simply put, about overcoming adrenal fatigue and making an unlikely friend. 

So, can movies change our vision of the world? 'My Octopus Teacher' asks fundamental questions like; what is happiness? The team received a lot of emails from suicidal men who said they didn’t realise it was possible to express how burned out they felt. They saw a 50 year old man hug an octopus and talk openly about his mental health problems. Young mothers, environmentalists and young people were so moved by how the octopus gives birth then gives herself. A profound message that “for the love of the earth, I must know my place. When it is time to go I must go”. Sometimes the most unlikely story gets its moment. 

With that oceanscapes in mind we move to plastics. The conversation around plastic has focused on pollution in seas, rivers and the natural environment. But that frame is shifting.

The recent Plastic Detox documentary which the Guardian reviewed as “a film so terrifying you will want to change your life immediately” was screened at ChangeNOW.  The ‘When science becomes story’ session was enlightening. If only every show we see could be followed by a Q&A with the director, the doctor and the sustainability expert. 

To paraphrase Oscar winning Director Louie Psihoyos: 6 or 7% of people are motivated to change for the environment, almost everyone will change if it’s for themselves. The common ground is the right to conceive that’s what attracts mainstream attention. And so they recruited the six couples looking to get pregnant to be part of a non-empirical experiment. It is a dance between science and story. 

Guided by environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., the couples embarked on a three-month effort to dramatically lower their daily exposure to plastic-related chemicals in hopes of better health markers and, ultimately, pregnancy. Italian obstetrician Dr Antonion Ragusa shared his startling findings that plastic is now detectable in the womb. 

Netflix’s Emma Stewart reminded us that we need to know your audience and to also value the popular understanding of science.

“Humans learn from anecdote and story better than we learn from data.”

Hurrah to that. 

Note, not all plastics are born equally, conversations about the toxicity of plastics can be one-sided, with millions of people coming away believing popular narrative over proper evidence.

It is, of course, far more nuanced. From our further reading, many widely cited toxicity studies use concentrations far above real-world exposure. Particle chemistry, size, shape, and dose all matter. Natural, mineral, and cellulosic particles are often ignored in comparisons. 

Phthalates and bisphenols are two major groups of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which can interfere with the body’s hormone signaling. The US has banned very few fossil fuel derived plastics versus the EU. So let’s get the facts straight before proclaiming we are already doomed. It’s complex. Leading with the science over cognitive bias will inspire that much needed consumer trust. And communicating the journey to a circular business as transparently as possible gives you cred. 

While we frantically brush up on our chemistry, making sustainable swaps to products which aren’t made with fossil fuels, that are either biodegradable or have an impressive lifecycle is a smart business plan.  

Greenhushing and greenwashing are our communication minefield, to help us all get on the right path that doesn’t get our campaigns banned or undervalue sustainability efforts, take a look at the guide to greenshouting. It might just be the springboard you need to elevate your brand. All here: https://www.whitecamino.com/resources/greenshouting

If you need help telling your brand story, drop Melissa.fretwell@whitecamino.com a line.