Climate change: the role of eco-guilt

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It doesn’t take much to trigger eco-guilt. You might have driven to the shops instead of walking, or printed out a document you could have read on screen.

Eco-guilt is the feeling you get when you could have done something to help the environment but decide not to.

In one way, eco-guilt is a helpful response towards taking climate action. It means that you’ve registered you could have taken a more positive action. Being aware of our own actions, and the negative impact they can have on the environment, is the first step towards making change.

The impact on our mental health

But eco-guilt can also be paralysing. It’s closely connected to eco-anxiety – something that’s affecting 74% of adults, according to the Office for National Statistics. And, according to a study published in The Lancet, 45% of young people surveyed are so worried about climate change that it negatively affects their daily lives.

And it’s no wonder we’re worried. Climate change is an existential threat. We’ve been warned about it for decades, with heatwaves, floods, droughts, and bushfires becoming more and more frequent in our social media feeds.

As charities, we need to inspire people to take action. So how do we talk about climate change without adding to guilt and anxiety?

Don’t lay on the guilt

It can be tempting to play on guilt as a motivator. But that will only go so far. Yes, it might prompt a few donations, but ultimately when someone starts feeling guilty, overwhelmed, or helpless, it’s likely they’ll start to withdraw and so be less likely to take action or donate money.

Guilt can make people feel powerless, even fatalistic. Overplaying it does nothing to address the real problems of climate change. Positive, hopeful messaging is a much more powerful way to inspire action.

Inspire hope

There’s a balance between inspiring hope (and action) while keeping a focus on the urgency and severity of the situation we’re in.

Talk.Eco has a helpful messaging guide that shares best practice when it comes to communicating about climate change. It talks about the importance of building hope, not fear and how sharing success stories, ideally direct from the people most impacted, will help to build hope, connection and action.

We also share some effective ways to talk about climate change in our podcast and in our article ‘how to speak to your communities about climate change’.    

Refrain from fatalism

Without hope, there’s no motivation to take action. If the messages we share around climate change fuel dread and a fatalism around our future, it will do little to convince people to make changes. If people believe there is nothing they can do to stop, or even slow, climate change – why would they?

Promote positive action

Instead, share ways for people to protect the planet. Ideally, make these simple, clear and practical – for example lobbying MPs, using a compost bin, or joining an environmental group.

When people start to take action, no matter how seemingly small, it can help to alleviate anxiety and build hope. And all those small actions, if millions of us take them, can have a significant impact.

Give people space to talk about their anxiety

Ironically, taking action can sometimes raise anxiety. The more we learn about the reality of climate change, the more fear it can trigger. By joining a local environmental group, for example, you’re making a statement of the stark reality of the state of the climate – not least, to yourself. It’s a positive action to take, but also one that can fuel anxiety and guilt.

That’s why Parents For Future groups across the country give their communities the space to talk about concerns, anxieties and guilt. Kim Senior, part of Parents For Future Dacorum, explains how it’s supported her:

“It has really helped me manage the emotions that come with being part of climate action. It makes such a difference knowing that other people – particularly other parents – feel like I do about the climate crisis. We understand each other and can be there for each other.”

Share ways to build resilience

Some environmental charities, like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are confronting eco-anxiety head on, to help its supporters to look after themselves and build resilience.

As Friends of the Earth points out: “Sadly, burnout is increasingly common in activism where people are likely to overwork themselves for their cause.” The charity shares ways for supporters to build resilience and avoid burnout, including identifying triggers, meditating, and getting professional help. 

After all, climate change isn’t going to be fixed overnight. It’s going to take collective stamina and determination to make real, sustainable change.