8 Reasons to Be Optimistic About Climate Action

Reporting on the climate crisis often inspires alarm and anxiety, and for good reason. It is clear that significant action needs to be taken to tackle climate change head on. However, we still believe there is room to be hopeful, so here are just some of the reasons to be optimistic about the current fight against climate change.

The worst-case scenarios for climate change have not been realised so far

It can be easy to see the numbers and be instantly scared, but the truth is that we have been able to avoid worst-case scenarios on the climate to date, and worst emissions scenarios are looking extremely unlikely this decade, which means that we still have time to halt and even reverse climate change.

Countries around the world have realised the gravity of the situation

More and more nations are engaging in tackling climate change, compared to previous years. We can hope that the recent years have been a turning point and that governments will now truly commit to taking significant climate action.

There were promising signs at COP26, with many nations coming together to sign agreements to end deforestation, cut methane emissions, and phase out coal power. While more needs to be done, it seems that the wheels have been put in motion for change.

Countries are pledging to cut carbon emissions

While scientists have warned that reducing global warming to 1.5C is now unlikely, there are still many opportunities to slash emissions so that the impacts of climate change are reduced. At COP26, many countries laid out or reconfirmed their plans to reach net-zero emissions within a certain time frame – we now hope that they implement the policies to back this up!

The end is in sight for coal

Most people around the world are now well-aware of how much coal power is damaging our planet, and the pressure is high for greener investments, so there is not much of an incentive to keep using coal for energy.

Some years ago, it may have been hard to imagine a world without fossil fuels, but we are moving closer to it.

Fossil fuel companies and big businesses are being held to account

On a similar note, while fossil fuel companies have been good at diverting blame in the past, it is now becoming clear that most no longer want to associate with them and are instead holding them to account for their actions. Oil and gas companies were banned from sponsoring COP26, the UN Climate Summit.

In America, the activist investor Engine No 1 has won seats on the board of Exxon Mobil, a historic climate denier, with the aim of forcing them to confront the climate crisis. Other large banks and investors are putting environmental sustainability as a core goal.

There is an emphasis on green recovery and working with nature

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a big emphasis in nations around the world on recovering in a greener way. This includes working with nature, rather than against it, and finding ways to improve the economy while also tackling deforestation, preserving the natural environment and reducing emissions.

A particular focus here is on the built environment – the carbon footprint of buildings “in use” can be greatly reduced by energy-saving technologies such as better insulation, triple-glazing, and on-site renewables such as solar panels and ground-source heat pumps. There’s also the opportunity to reduce the “embodied carbon” of building materials and prioritise refurbishment and reuse over demolition.

Technological advancements have made alternatives possible

We no longer have the need to rely on fossil fuels anymore, with electric power and renewable energy sources becoming viable alternatives. We simply need to roll these out on a large scale so that electric cars become the norm, and we are no longer relying on coal, oil and gas to power the planet.

Environmental activists are making change happen

More and more activists are getting involved in the fight against climate change – and their voices are being heard. They are better able to mobilise, particularly the youth movements that we have seen springing up everywhere, and they are demanding exactly the action that we need. We don’t think they will stop anytime soon, either!

It can be hard to avoid the doom and gloom when it comes to the climate crisis but, while it would be incredibly harmful to ignore it, we believe it is beneficial to stay optimistic and use that to spur climate action. There are already many reasons to be optimistic about our ability to tackle climate change, and we hope these will only increase over the next few years.