Semafor Says Climate Tech PR Is Now on the Map – We've Been Here for Years

Thanks to Tim McDonnell at Semafor for highlighting our niche industry and the global support we provide to our tech and climate advocacy clients. It’s fascinating to see the simultaneous rise of journalists covering this space and the growing number of PR firms getting involved. We’ve been in this space for nearly two decades as an agency, and I’ve been involved in clean energy communications even longer.

When I started in this space in the early 2000s, as a founding member of the D.C. office for a mid-sized Silicon Valley-based tech agency, we were already collaborating with Sand Hill Road investors like Khosla Ventures on their initial clean tech investments (and Silverline continued the conversations to this day!). We were eventually acquired by a global agency, becoming its Silicon Valley office and the foundation for its cleantech practice, leveraging the work my team and I started. In large agency life, I straddled both the D.C. and Silicon Valley offices and became a founding member of their global cleantech practice. Our team was trusted to drive green and clean revenue. But there was a catch: The agency also represented big oil (as many do). The conflict became obvious—the large agency world liked the idea of supporting cleantech, but ultimately, larger revenue streams took precedence.

I then moved to a global holding company where I was charged with replicating my success in building a cleantech practice, but I soon realized that the 2008 economic downturn spelled an opportunity for an emerging market like cleantech. So, I took a leap of faith and launched Silverline Communications in 2009. Back then, the cleantech market saw investment hovering around $5B, but today we’re looking at $800B - $1T.

And, while the markets are finally catching up to the work that we’ve been doing at Silverline – not all teams are created equal. If you’re in the market for a specialized PR agency that knows what they’re doing, then the tips below should help you navigate how to find the right partner. Here’s some advice for potential clients tasked with evaluating PR firms in this complex, rapidly evolving climate communications industry:

CEO Experience and Commitment 

Over the years, I’ve seen plenty of agencies enter this space, but where they often fall short is at the top. If the agency’s leadership isn’t fully invested in the conversations, strategies, and mission as much as the team, keep moving. Agency CEOs and their leadership bench must be all-in—not just financially, but in their understanding of the industry and where to show up in conversations. If agency leadership doesn’t grasp the basics of the periodic table, energy market drivers, and isn’t recognized in media circles, it’s time to consider other representation.

Industry Specialization

Silverline is what we call a “pure play” agency. We focus exclusively on climate and cleantech. We don’t dabble in healthcare or automotive, though we have colleagues in those fields and are happy to refer clients. Many agencies attempt to package unrelated services together, but if you’re a green hydrogen or solar company, don’t you deserve a firm that’s entirely dedicated to your market? At Silverline, our team isn’t bouncing between enterprise healthcare platforms one minute and solar energy the next and calling it "wellness" or “sustainability” work.  That’s not our approach – we know our clients need a specialized team that focuses on the energy transition.

Building the 21st Century Workforce

Our team carries strong industry credentials. First and foremost, we hire people who are aligned with our mission. If early interview discussions don’t reveal a curiosity and passion for the clean energy transition, we can’t move forward. The mission comes first, and then we layer on expertise in the clean energy field. When you hire a PR firm, you should feel the enthusiasm, passion, and expertise of every member of the team. I’m proud of the investment we’ve made in building our workforce through dedicated training, media meet-and-greets, and client introductions.

Combining expertise and talent to create effective campaigns allows us to better spot the stories that truly advance the transition conversation. To insulate against the sentiment that news is falling flat, our focus on talent avoids those pitfalls of putting out dull news or greenwashing (or both).  

 Feeling Good About Service

Since day one, Silverline has been committed to advancing the clean energy agenda, even when opportunities were limited due to politics or technological challenges. As the conversation around clean energy has expanded, so have our engagements. We’ve partnered with several Big Four and Big Five climate teams, high-growth startups and their funders, as well as leading advocates. In every engagement, the Silverline team’s top priority is client service. True pros understand the gravity of managing a company’s reputation and storytelling. As an independent firm, we can make decisions on time investment and what’s best for the client without obsessing over billable hours.

Back to Semafor for the Wrap

To Tim’s point in the Semafor article, there are many newcomers to the climate PR landscape, and we are indeed in a Golden Age of climate communications. However, newcomers will quickly realize that the energy industry is complex, filled with science, technology, and intricate markets. This is an industry that takes decades to truly understand and embed in. At Silverline, we know where we excel and where to focus. Whether it’s critical minerals, renewable advocacy, global and domestic policy discussions, data centers, or carbon markets, we understand the connectivity and influencers in each conversation.

Being mission-focused is our top priority. Given the increasing number of natural disasters and warnings from the scientific community, this work is more urgent than ever. However, to succeed in the clean energy transition, we fully believe that every aspect of the energy landscape deserves representation. At Silverline, however, we choose to represent technologists and advocates who are bridging the gap between fossil fuels and the clean energy transition or bypassing the bridge and developing solely for the transition.

Hailing from large, conflicted agencies, we know what they’re capable of—and what they aren’t. We’ve spent nearly two decades understanding energy markets, cleantech, and investing in a specialized practice focused on the future of everything. While others chase trends, our clients are busy creating them—delivering impactful solutions that accelerate the clean energy transition, one breakthrough at a time.