Tim Walz Knows How to Talk About Climate Change

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz catapulted onto the national scene as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris at least in part due to his artful rhetoric—including his deployment of the word “weird.” In one cable news hit after another, he’s used the word describe Republicans, inspiring other Harris surrogates to do the same and earning him praise as a plain-spoken Democratic communicator.

Whatever the outcome of the competition to be Harris’ number two, however, Walz will continue being influential in one particular area, thanks to his rhetorical skills: in recent years, he has become one of the country's most skillful climate communicators, even as he has remained relatively unknown to the average American.

I got a first-hand view of Walz’s abilities in 2023 when I moderated a discussion with him on the opportunities and challenges in the coming climate-shaped economy. It’s a common topic that crops up from time to time at climate events, but Walz’s answers stood out. He described climate policy as a political economy problem as much as he did a strictly scientific or economic one. To address the issue, supporters of climate measures need to figure out how to get people on board.

“Until we get the social scientists in… there's a psychology that sometimes outweighs all of the basics of what the markets are telling you,” he said at Aspen Ideas Climate in Miami last year. “If people think something, that perceived reality is reality—and right now we’re not doing a good enough job.”

Translation: it’s not enough that climate policies are good for society. Politicians need to do better explaining it and proving it. How has that worked for Walz in practice? In a way, Walz’s messaging solution sounds a bit like President Biden’s with a lot of talk about jobs. “The surest way to get people to buy in is to create a job that pays well in their community,” he told me. That messaging needs to better tailored his language to meet voters where they are. “All of us are going to have to be better about our smart politics, about bringing people in,” he said.

Walz pointed to his approach to explaining his 2009 vote for cap-and-trade to constituents in his largely rural district when he represented Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. He said he didn’t talk about carbon reduction instead he told voters that “we’ve got all of this carbon sink and all of this farmland that we can get rich on cap and trade.” The measure, which was highly controversial, contributed to the ousting of many of his colleagues in a Republican wave. He held onto his seat with room to spare.

There’s a good case that his messaging approach is working across Minnesota now that he is Governor: Walz has delivered big climate wins despite a closely divided legislature. During his tenure, the state passed a law requiring Minnesota utilities to generate 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040, prioritized public transit and e-bikes in its $1.3 billion transport program, and created a $2 billion climate spending program that resembles the Inflation Reduction Act with incentives for everything from rooftop solar to electric school buses.

In Miami, the conversation at times highlighted the barriers to decarbonization—from slow permitting to subsidized fossil fuels. Walz acknowledged these challenges, but was quick to move on. “I'm going to tell you what my pro tip of the day is: if you want to run for governor don't propose a gas tax and don't build a powerline,” he said. “Both of those things are incredibly personal to people and they're counterintuitive, even though you need to get them.”

It is telling that as governor, Walz eventually got them both—and continues to enjoy a favorable approval rating.