Imagine waking up to a world where the air is thick with smoke, and the news is dominated by yet another record-breaking natural disaster. This isn’t a dystopian future; it’s the reality we’re facing today. As climate change tightens its grip, so does the pervasive feeling of climate anxiety. From political denial to the tangible impacts of environmental catastrophes, the urgency to address our planet’s health has never been more pressing. Dive into our exploration of climate anxiety, its roots, and how we can navigate this challenging emotional landscape together.
“Climate Change is a hoax”— a ludicrous proclamation made by none other than the current 47th USA President, Donald Trump, back in 2017. True to his word, he wasted no time rolling up his sleeves in making drastic decisions to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Barely days into 2025, the world has already witnessed devastating Los Angeles Forest fires, setting a grim tone for the year ahead.
With environmental disasters intensifying and political leaders turning a blind eye, this growing unease has birthed a new kind of grief- one for the past, but for a future slipping through their fingers. Dubbed “climate anxiety”, it manifests as a deep, lingering fear of an unlivable world, a sense of betrayal by those in power, and a restless urgency to act. As uncertainty looms and the gap between urgent action and political inaction widens, many are left questioning: Where is the world truly headed?
This anxiety is particularly prominent among younger generations. A global survey by The Lancet Planetary Health found that 59% of young people feel “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, while over 50% believe that governments and corporations have failed to take sufficient action to protect their future.
For many youth, each wildfire, flood or heatwave feels like another alarm bell, another reminder that time is running out. Yet, this anxiety is not just paralyzing, it is galvanizing. From school strikes to mass protests, youth-led movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion are transforming fear into fury, grief into action, demanding a future that is not just imagined, but secured.
As this existential crisis deepens, climate anxiety manifests in various ways—sleepless nights over an uncertain future, a sense of helplessness, grief, anger in the face of inaction, and even guilt over personal consumption choices. For younger generations, the fear of inheriting an unlivable planet weighs heavily, influencing life decisions from career paths to whether or not to have children.
While climate anxiety is a shared experience, its burden is not evenly distributed. Those living in regions most affected by climate change- coastal areas, arid zones and economically disadvantaged communities- feel the impacts firsthand, transforming anxiety into lived reality. Indigenous communities, whose traditional ways of life are closely tied to nature, experience cultural and existential loss in addition to environmental harm.
Paradoxically, those contributing the least to climate change often bear the brunt of its effects. Meanwhile, individuals in wealthier nations may grapple with the guilt of high-carbon lifestyles, torn between convenience and conscience.
This injustice lies at the heart of the climate crisis- a world where those who have done the least to warm the planet are the first to feel its heat. Small island nations vanish beneath rising tides, farmers watch their lands crack under the relentless drought, and entire communities are forced to flee disasters they did not create. Meanwhile, in wealthier nations, a different kind of burden takes hold: the quiet, gnawing guilt of abundance. The privilege of choice- between convenience and conscience, indulgence and restraint- becomes a daily moral tightrope. Electric cars sit beside gas-guzzlers in driveways, fast fashion clogs closets and supermarket aisles overflow with options, even as awareness grows that every choice leaves an imprint.
Compounding the crisis, political decisions can either accelerate environmental destruction or offer a sense of hope and stability. When governments roll back environmental regulations, withdraw from global commitments like the Paris Agreement, or prioritize industries that profit from pollution, they do not just stall climate progress- they deepen climate anxiety. For many, these policy reversals feel like a betrayal, reinforcing the fear that those in power are not only failing to act but actively making the crisis worse. This sense of abandonment fuels feelings of helplessness, as individuals witness progress slipping away despite growing public concern.
For young people in particular, these decisions strike a nerve. Many have been raised in an era of increasing climate awareness, urged to adopt sustainable habits, reduce their carbon footprint and push for systematic change. Yet, when governments dismantle hard-won environmental protections, it creates dissonance: if those with the power to enact real change refuse to act, what hope is there for individual efforts? This disconnect can lead to frustration, despair and even apathy as people wonder whether their choices- cycling instead of driving, reducing waste or eating sustainably- are enough when policies favor fossil fuels and industries that thrive on environmental destruction.
The rollback of key environmental policies in the U.S., for example, has significantly weakened the momentum of the American Green Movement, leaving many disillusioned. Seeing leaders prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term planetary health exacerbates feelings of powerlessness, making climate anxiety not just an emotional response but a reflection of political reality. In this way, policy reversals do more than stall climate action- they erode trust, amplify fear and make an already uncertain future feel even more precarious.
The psychological toll of climate change is no longer an abstract concern, it is a tangible, growing phenomenon recognized by mental health professionals worldwide. Studies show that prolonged exposure to climate-related distress can lead to eco-paralysis, where individuals feel so overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis that they struggle to take meaningful action. Others experience eco-grief, mourning the irreversible loss of ecosystems, species, and landscapes they once cherished.
Yet, amid this rising anxiety, a movement is taking shape. Organizations and mental health professionals are also recognizing the need for climate-informed therapy, eco-grief circles, and resilience training to help people process their emotions constructively. Programs like Eco-anxiety Training by the Center for Nature Informed Therapy equip professionals with tools to address ecological distress.
Similarly, interactive initiatives like the Climate Fresk workshop- engaging over two million participants across 167 countries are fostering a sense of collective empowerment. In just three hours, participants collaboratively map out the fundamental science behind climate change, strengthening their understanding and transforming climate anxiety into action. These workshops create space for open dialogue, reinforcing the idea that solutions emerge not just from the knowledge but from shared commitment-driven efforts.
Beyond structured programs, creative expression is also becoming a vital outlet for navigating climate distress. The rise of climate-conscious storytelling, art, and activism underscores how emotions can drive action. Films such as Don’t Look Up (2021) use sharp satire to expose the urgency of climate inaction, while documentaries- Before the Flood (2016) and 2040 (2019) shed light on solutions, offering a vision of hope.
In literature, novels like, The Overstory by Richard Powers and Weather by Jenny Offill weave climate themes into intimate, thought-provoking narratives that reveal the crisis’ human and social depths. Capturing the hearts of the audiences from inner core are the on stage performances such as The Climate Opera and Letters to the Earth which turn climate stories into visceral experiences, weaving together music, theatre and spoken word. These artistic expressions don’t just tell stories- they echo powerful messages.
Climate anxiety is not just an individual struggle, it is a reflection of our collective consciousness waking up to an existential crisis. As the world grapples with solutions, the challenge is to channel fear into meaningful action rather than allow it to spiral into despair. As the storms rage outside, the real question remains: Will we allow the silent storm within to consume us, or will we rise to meet this challenge with collective courage?
Article by Kokoro Okamoto, Research & Communication Intern, Ichigo Bloom.
Ichigo Bloom offers climate and biodiversity collaborative workshops such as the Climate Fresk and the Biodiversity Collage, to raise awareness and ignite change within organizations in Japan.
