Climate doomism is bad storytelling – hope is much more effective at triggering action

When news about the climate is published, like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report, frightening headlines like “final warning” or “now or never” are often the norm. Some activists call this approach “climate doomism”, and are quick to criticise media publications and other influencers for it. Climate doomism is the view that humanity has lost the climate battle, and we feel nothing but helplessness and anxiety about it.

In a massive global survey, the results of which were published in 2021, 10,000 children and young people (aged 16-25) shared their feelings about the environment. The results were astonishing: from Brazil to France, Nigeria to the UK, at least 84% said they were moderately worried about climate change, with 59% saying they were very or extremely worried.

How helpful is it to scare someone who is already scared? The tone of how we share information can greatly affect how people engage with it.