Climate Fatigue and the Path to Renewed Hope & Action

Climate fatigue, also known as "environmental fatigue" or "eco-anxiety," refers to the feeling of being overwhelmed, anxious or powerless in the face of the global climate crisis. It can come with a terrible feeling of helplessness and the prospect of addressing climate change can seem daunting, especially when we see the need for systemic world change.  The scientists and those working in sustainability also feel frustration at the lack of action, so it is understandable if you’re not involved, you either do not care, or are exhausted listening to the constant rhetoric that largely seems to be ignored no matter how ‘code red’ it is.

Climate change is a complex, multifaceted issue that involves various scientific, economic, social, and political dimensions. Understanding and addressing it requires navigating through this complexity, which can be exhausting and unless you have a special interest in the subject, you won’t want to be reading all the facts and figures and doom and gloom stories.

The impacts of climate change can (unfortunately) be gradual and may not be directly observable in everyday life. This lack of immediate effect can make it harder to be motivated to act.  Out of sight out of mind. 

We can also feel a sense of powerless in the face of such a massive global problem and can doubt that any individual action will have impact.  While documentaries by David Attenborough and Jane Goodall may spark our emotions, that emotion often fades as we get on with our daily lives. The first report from the Planetary Health Check launched by Prof. Johan Rockström, highlights critical findings, such as “Earth exceeds safe limits.” Yet for many, this feels like just another statistic in a long list of dire warnings. A shocker for those following the planetary boundaries, business as usual for others.

Being bombarded with information from different sources can lead to confusion and scepticism, which can contribute to a sense of fatigue or apathy.  Do we believe the scientists or the nay-sayers (these are usually for political gain)?  Despite the growing awareness and commitments to address climate change, progress towards meeting global climate targets has been slow and our global CO₂ emissions continue to rise year on year.  This apparent disregard for the facts coupled with the feeling of powerlessness and apathy, can lead to frustration and disillusionment especially those working in the sustainability arena.  It’s ironic that the people hired to stop the corporate world from trashing the planet are in danger of burning out in the process, as they begin to feel helpless to make changes within their organisations.

So, what can we do to address climate fatigue and how can we encourage people to act now. One of the ways we can do it is to provide accurate information about climate change and its impacts and this can help people understand the importance of acting.  We need to do this step by step to prevent people from feeling overwhelmed. Empowering people with knowledge allows them to see the bigger picture and take ownership and responsibility for their actions.  We could probably do with a few policy changes, mandates and incentives thrown into the mix.  This would force companies to take responsibility on embracing sustainable changes within their organisations. Framing climate action in a positive light can highlight the benefits of sustainable practices such as buying organic foodstuffs and sustainable fashion (budgets permitting), composting your food scraps and delighting in making your own compost.  This can be fun and motivating, and it is super important to show our children that we embrace these actions which they are presumably (hopefully) learning at school.

We must recognize that climate fatigue is a valid response to a challenging issue. By addressing the underlying causes and taking meaningful action, we can work towards overcoming this fatigue and collectively address the climate crisis.   We are by no means out of the woods, and we need a concerted effort from all to begin to move the needle. Remember, you are never powerless in this fight. Each action counts, and together, we can make a difference.