Brett Walter of Climate Action Now talks civic action, climate advocacy & scaling impact through technology

Turning climate concern into meaningful action is one of the biggest challenges facing the sustainability movement today.In this episode of The Plucky Bamboo Podcast, I sat down with Brett Walter, founder & CEO of Climate Action Now, to explore how technology can mobilise individuals to drive systemic climate impact.After a career building scalable software in Silicon Valley, Brett launched the Climate Action Now app on Earth Day 2021 with a clear goal: make it easy for people to influence legislation, corporate behaviour, and public policy directly from their phones.But creating the platform was only the beginning.Sustaining engagement, motivating action, and scaling participation required deep thinking around behavioural psychology, product design, and advocacy strategy.In this conversation, we explore:• Why systemic action scales faster than lifestyle change• How software can amplify individual climate impact• The psychology behind sustained user engagement• Why fear-based messaging often limits participation• The role of hope in driving climate action• Monetisation strategies for impact platforms• The challenges of scaling civic advocacy technology• Advice for founders building mission-driven startupsIf you’re building at the intersection of climate, technology, and systems change - this episode offers a thoughtful look at how digital platforms can turn awareness into action at scale.