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Facing Climate Anxiety: Turning Fear Into Action


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Climate anxiety is becoming more common, especially among young people. The fear and concern about the future of our planet are real, but they don’t have to hold us back. Instead, they can be a powerful force for change.
Today’s generation isn’t content to sit back and wait for others to solve the climate crisis. Many young people feel let down by the lack of strong action from governments. But this frustration is sparking something powerful. Three out of four young people are deeply worried about what the future holds. Yet, in that worry, we see something inspiring: the courage to demand action and fight for a sustainable future.
These intense emotions aren’t just signs of fear—they show how much young people care about the planet. And while it’s okay to feel anxious, what matters most is how we respond to those feelings. Instead of letting climate anxiety paralyze us, we can turn it into fuel for creating a better world.
The voices of young people must be heard, and their concerns should guide real change. When young people speak up, they’re not just expressing fear—they’re sharing a vision for a healthier, more sustainable planet. It’s up to us, as a global community, to listen and act.
Educators also have a unique role in this. Teachers can help students channel their anxiety into meaningful environmental actions. By doing so, they can transform fear into empowerment. Through school initiatives or community efforts, young people see that they’re not alone. They then realize that together, they can make a lasting impact.
At the same time, governments have a responsibility to take real, effective action. When this happens, it address the environmental crisis and reassures young people that they’re not abandoned, and that their fight is worth continuing.
Finally, we need to keep conversations about climate change open, honest, and supportive. By creating spaces for dialogue, we foster understanding and collective action. Climate change isn’t just an environmental challenge—it’s also a mental health issue. Addressing both aspects is essential.
Hope isn’t passive. It’s something we create through action, no matter how small those actions might seem. Together, we can transform fear into hope and anxiety into action, building a brighter future for everyone.

 

You can watch a short version of the video on YouTube.


A longer narrated version is also available via the My Zero Carbon Climate Action Twitter account @MyzeroCarbon (pinned tweet).

 

Here are some resources to help you better understand what the climate anxiety issues are and how to help individuals affected by it:

 

Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey (The Lancet, 2021) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(21)00278-3/fulltext

Mental health and our changing climate (American Psychological Association, 2017): https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf

Psychology today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/climate-anxiety

Climate anxiety, coping strategies and planning for the future in environmental degree students in the UK (Frontiers, 2023): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126031/full

Climate change and mental health (Mental Health Foundation Scotland, 2022): https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-07/MHF-Scotland-Climate-Change-COP26-report_0.pdf

How to cope with climate anxiety: Stanford expert shares techniques that help (World Economic Forum, 2023): https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/12/what-is-climate-anxiety-protect-mental-health-britt-wray/

Struggling with climate anxiety? Here's 10+ tips from mental health experts (World Economic Forum, 2022): https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/the-rise-in-climate-anxiety-expert-tips-on-how-to-beat-it/

Understanding and Coping with Eco-Anxiety (Mental Health Commission Canada, 2023): https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/resource/understanding-and-coping-with-eco-anxiety/

Notes for Teachers on Climate Anxiety (The Climate Coalition, 2017): https://www.oxfam.org.uk/documents/820/Climate_anxiety_notes.pdf

Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer (Current Psychology, 2022): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-022-02735-6

Climate Anxiety, Grief and Trauma (National Adaptation Forum presentation, 2024): https://adaptationprofessionals.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Moser_2024_NAF_climate-trauma-and-healing.pdf