Wildfires, floods, droughts, crop failure – effects of the climate crisis regularly make the news headlines in one way or another. While many of these consequences of climatic change affect us directly or indirectly, there is another side to the issue that the privileged segments of society, living in developed nations, working in secure jobs, hardly ever think of.

“Climate Justice” is the indivisible twin of “Climate Action”, and it essentially means the just division, fair sharing, and equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of climate change, as well as the responsibilities to deal with it.

Human-induced climate change is the largest, most pervasive threat to the natural environment and our societies we have ever experienced, and the poorest countries are paying the highest price, a UN expert said.

“There is an enormous injustice being manifested by developed economies against the poorest and least able to cope. […] The G20 members for instance, account for 78% of emissions over the last decade”, said Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, in a report to the General Assembly this week.

Yet, those most affected and suffering the greatest losses are the least able to participate in current decision-making. More must be done to ensure vulnerable groups including children and youth, women, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, and minorities have a say in their future.

Urgent action by developed economies and major corporations to take responsibility for drastically reducing their greenhouse gas emissions is essential not only to combat climate change itself, but also out of a moral obligation to avoid a human rights catastrophe set into motion by this unequal distribution of originators of and sufferers.

In support of organizations that recognize the urgency to step up their climate game and take responsibility for effective, timely climate action and justice, Goumbook has developed a solutions-oriented workshop based on the “Climate Fresk” tool. Book your consultation to understand how educating your leadership and workforce on the cause-effect-relationships underlying climate change helps you build outcome-oriented strategies and identify solutions specific to your business.

What’s the point in me studying anything? Why should I be thinking about going to university when I don’t know that I’ll be able to get a job, or even live in a world where there are jobs anymore?’

When Dubai-based mother Tatiana Antonelli-Abella’s middle son expressed himself like this at the age of 11, she knew she had to take it seriously.

As the founder of Goumbook – a social enterprise dedicated to sustainability and green living in the UAE and beyond – Tatiana has spent years spurring people into action against climate change and warning about the seriousness of the consequences if we don’t.

And, as a mother of three boys (now aged seven, 14 and 16), sustainability permeated every aspect of her parenting, so it was a message she naturally passed down to her children – through their weekly family beach clean-ups, the fact that they were never allowed to use plastic bags or straws, and their participation in regular desert-tree-planting activities, among many other things.

But on hearing this sense of doom and gloom from her middle son – the ‘sensitive one’, who was perhaps more affected by her rallying cries than her other children – Tatiana realised that her awareness-raising had gone too far.

‘To begin with it was just silence and sad faces and not wanting to come to the tree plantings or listen to my information about climate change and sustainability anymore,’ she says. ‘It seemed they had just had enough of worrying about the state of the planet.

‘I didn’t understand at first and I thought they were just bored. But when my middle son, the one who tends to be more open emotionally, explained to me how depressing they found the whole topic of global warming and its negative impact, how it made them sad and feel as if they couldn’t do anything about it, I realised I needed to change the way I was talking about it and what I was allowing them to be exposed to.’

Global Phenomenon

There’s a name for this sense of hopelessness Tatiana describes in her children, and it’s a swiftly rising phenomenon that’s worrying parents and psychologists across the globe.

‘Eco-anxiety’ is a serious new condition gripping young people all over the world, leaving them panicky, terrified, and depressed about climate change and the future of planet Earth.

New research by medical journal The Lancet suggests that our efforts to raise kids’ awareness about sustainability have been so effective that they’ve led to a chronic fear of environmental doom that is negatively impacting teens’ and children’s ability to live their lives.

A 2021 survey of 10,000 children and young people (aged 16–25 years) in ten countries (Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, the UK, and the USA) found that more than 45 per cent of them felt their worries about climate change negatively affect their daily life and functioning, and many reported a high number of negative thoughts about climate change. A staggering 75 per cent said that they think the future is frightening and 83 per cent said that they think older generations have failed to take care of the planet.

Inspired and spurred on by climate-change-activism poster girl Greta Thunberg – who first hit headlines in 2018 at the age of 15 when she protested with a sign saying ‘School Strike for Climate Change’ outside the Swedish parliament, prompting more than 20,000 students across the world to skip school in solidarity – many young people are under pressure to act, but feel they are powerless to do so.

As a result, they’re being overwhelmed by guilt, fear and ultimately depression – or apathy, caused by the belief that it’s too late to make a difference anymore. The indifference of older generations and the inaction from governments also creates a sense of betrayal and abandonment. Add to this the growing awareness and news coverage of the climate crisis across the world – including the publication of panic-inducing research like the April 2022 United Nations report, in which scientists state that carbon emissions are at an emergency level and ‘the world is on a “fast track” to disaster’ – and it’s little wonder that children’s and teens’ anxiety is growing.

Taking Eco-anxiety seriously

First described by the American Psychiatric Association in 2017, recognition of Eco-anxiety and its complex psychological responses is increasing, as is its disproportionate impact on young people.

Professor Mala Rao and Richard Powell, both members of the Department of Primary Care and Public Health at Imperial College London in the UK, say the true burden of Eco-anxiety’s costs and consequences has yet to be estimated, but is likely to be significant and potentially damaging to individuals and society.

‘Evidence points to a clear relation between experiencing climate change effects [such as floods, droughts and climate-change impacts on physical health, such as heat-related stress, asthma, allergies and vector-borne illness] and the increased risks of depression, low mood, extreme mental distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, and further deterioration in those with a history of mental illness,’ say Rao and Powell.

A young person’s problem? 

‘Eco-anxiety is not a clinical diagnosis but refers to anxiety, sometimes acute, related to fears about the environment and climate change,’ explains Dr Rose Logan, clinical psychologist at Genesis Healthcare Center in Dubai.

While we can all identify with the fear of climate change to some extent, it’s Generation Z and their future offspring who are really staring down the barrel of the climate change gun.

‘Young people tend to be aware of the potential outcomes and consequences of climate change and environmental issues and fear what that means for them and their futures,’ she says. ‘In essence, all anxiety is the same. What differentiates Eco-anxiety from other types of anxiety is the focus of the individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours on topics relating to climate and environmental issues – something that can be hard to avoid when it’s all over the news, in the media and often what everyone is talking about.

Dr Logan says she has come across several cases of Eco-anxiety in her own practice in Dubai – usually in younger teenagers. ‘They may present with a passion for the environment and nature which is healthy and well informed. It then becomes apparent that there is a fear driving their interest and causing them anxiety.’

The Eco-Anxiety Icon

Perhaps the most famous victim of Eco-anxiety is Greta Thunberg herself. Before embarking on her school-strike activism, her father Svante Thunberg told the BBC she suffered from depression for several years, stopped talking, going to school and began refusing to eat.

Greta’s parents helped her through it by researching climate change with her, making changes in their own lives (like no longer flying and becoming vegan), and ultimately allowing her to become the public-eye campaigner that she was set on being, despite their reservations.

While Mr Thunberg says Greta has become ‘very happy’ as a result of her activism, not every Eco-anxiety sufferer is able dedicate their lives to the climate-change cause in the same way.

Megan Morgan, 25, who was born and raised in England, told France 24 that she remembers dealing with difficult emotions prompted by climate change as early as age seven. ‘One day, a team came in to talk about climate change, landfills filling up and ice caps melting. That was the moment I became aware of my own mortality. It was an earth-shattering moment for me.’

After that day, Morgan experienced an onset of panic attacks. ‘Every time it rained or flooded I would be inconsolable,’ she says. ‘I couldn’t even hear the words ‘global warming’ without having a sinking feeling.’

Today Morgan still suffers from climate anxiety but she says it feels more like stress. What she struggles with the most, though, is feeling helpless. ‘Sure I can use a metal straw, eat vegan or make ethical choices when shopping. But compared to oil being poured into the oceans, it’s a minuscule effort. There’s no accountability, no change made.’

Eco awareness versus Eco-anxiety 

All of this brings us to tricky situation. Given the seriousness of the climate crisis, many parents and educators feel they have a responsibility to teach children about the topic. But how can we do this without causing undue worry that could turn into harmful anxiety?

‘We should absolutely not shy away from education and information around the environment,’ Dr Rose Logan explains. ‘Providing this in an age-appropriate manner is the primary consideration.

‘It is important to also offer information to show where there are successes and incorporate problem solving and creative projects so that children and young people feel they can affect change around the issue. Otherwise it is easy for children and young people to feel powerless in these situations, which may increase their anxiety.’

Focusing on the constructive side of the conversation is exactly what Tatiana decided to do with her own children.

‘I realised they’d been hearing too much about the climate crisis from me at home. I needed to show them the positive aspects, the good news, that there are amazing technologies and people investing millions in solutions.’

Tatiana’s efforts have paid off and her sons’ Eco-anxiety has reduced to more moderate, manageable levels. Her children are now not only engaged in the sustainability conversation in a more healthy way, but in some ways have become more ‘radical’ than her.

She says her oldest son has decided he doesn’t want to learn to drive a car due to the carbon footprint, and all three of her boys are quick to refuse plastic straws with a drink in a restaurant, or to pick up rubbish if they spot it on the beach.

Instead of apathy and reluctance, or paralysing anxiety, they are engaged in the solution. Tatiana says: ‘Now they are very glad and proud when they see the whole world waking up to the cause, and bigger campaigns starting, and governments taking action,’ says Tatiana. ‘They realise the bigger purpose.’

How to spot the signs of Eco-anxiety? 

• Disrupted sleep
• Changes to behaviour
• Somatic (physical) symptoms.
• A preoccupation with subjects relating the environment
• Excessive fear about the future of the planet and issues such as the accessibility of adequate food and water.

How to help an Eco-anxious child 

• Create an open conversation about their fears. Allow them to share their thoughts and ask questions.
• Help them to find reliable and age-appropriate resources to consult and interact with such as web sites or organisations promoting environmental awareness and action.
• If you are still concerned about your child or their anxiety is impacting their functioning, seek professional help from a psychologist or counsellor.

Does Your Child Have Eco Anxiety?This article was first published by Holly Catling for The Ethicalist

When it comes to tackling climate change, social experts have found that gender imbalance extends to climate change impacts where more women are disproportionately affected. This is due to the continued limitation in their participation in decision making processes that influence their welfare and wellbeing, and thus make them more vulnerable to disasters. 

As the impact of climate change is already being experienced in many parts of the world in the form of extreme weather changes especially in developing countries, there is growing concern that adaptation strategies must be gender inclusive. It should address the needs of the community, the vulnerabilities of disadvantaged groups, and according to national and regional capabilities.

Gender issues must be understood from the lens of climate resilience and thereby, be the basis of developing policies and mechanisms for climate adaptation. For example, promoting a gender-smart climate finance can bring in significant change and usher the future towards a more socially inclusive and sustainable one. 

For instance, in regions such as Africa where rural communities rely on farming and agriculture to sustain their livelihood as well as meet food security, providing better capacities through facilities and technologies as well as employing sustainable agriculture systems can equip them with the capability to face challenges. Creating climate adaptation solutions that enhance social equity and address gender imbalance protects the vulnerable groups from climate change impacts as well as advanced equality, inclusivity, and diversity.

Adaptation measures that organizations can use to achieve gender balance must include empowering women by enabling them to lead and make decisions. They should be given opportunities to take on the role of engaging with their communities in raising awareness about climate change and their impacts, as well as the gender-focused adaptation policies.

Efforts can also be directed at educating and providing women with access to training. Upgrading their skills, especially in the use of new technologies can open many new opportunities for them. For example, access to renewable energy technologies can greatly empower women and their communities. It would also provide them with leadership capacities to sustain their livelihood as well as create jobs for others within their community.  

Sustainable and green industries can tap the potentials of women to grow a new form of economy that is gender-inclusive. It will also enhance the reach of adaptation solutions to local communities.

More importantly, as women remain the central pillar in family and childcare, gender responsive climate adaptation strategies would ensure their health, safety, and security. 

To make all these ideals a reality, organizations can integrate gender-based indicators and measures in their climate change strategies. Analysing and identifying gender-related impacts of climate change and the opportunities with which women can participate in achieving sustainable initiatives must be examined. Finally, it is important to develop a road map which identifies where the organization can add value to a more gender-balanced climate change adaptation.

Through these processes, women can have a better chance at fighting climate change and establish a level playing field in attaining a more sustainable future for all.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) present strong potentials to address current social and environmental challenges such as climate change, according to a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

UNEP said that carbon is naturally stored in the Earth’s ecosystems highlighting that preventing the loss of carbon sinks from them can address climate and biodiversity emergencies. It identified the five ecosystems that can benefit from NBS such as forests, peatlands, farmlands, oceans and coasts, and cities.

The report underscored that locally appropriate actions focused on restoring ecosystems can significantly contribute to cutting carbon emissions by a ‘significant proportion’ up to 18 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year by 2050, and thereby mitigate climate change.

It further recommended that well-designed solutions which consider the benefits beyond carbon such as supporting local and indigenous communities address social needs as well. For example, the REDD+ mechanism (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, plus the sustainable management of forests, and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) has provided a major knowledge resource and experience in terms of protecting these ecosystems.

Tim Christophersen, Head of Nature for Climate and Coordinator of UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration noted UNEP’s knowledge and experience of 10 years designing forest solutions for people, climate, and nature through REDD+ are now being applied to other ecosystems. “Now we can apply that knowledge to other ecosystems, to ensure that climate investments in nature have a high integrity and impact,” he remarked.

Protecting, managing, and restoring forests, according to UNEP, provides about two-thirds of the total mitigation potential of all nature-based solutions as forests cover more than 30 per cent of the planet’s land, despite massive deforestation and degradation. Proper management which includes sustainable harvesting and community management offer social and environmental solutions.

However, peatlands are considered the most potent natural carbon storage although they may be covering only three per cent of the world’s land, its capacity to hold soil carbon reaches nearly 30 per cent. Peatland protection also does not cost much in terms of preserving carbon stocks while conserving plant and animal species and adds benefit to flood mitigation.

Farmlands on the other hand presents greater benefits to humanity by ensuring healthy soil and thus producing more bountiful yields. Nature-based solutions for farmlands include sustainable grazing, crop rotation and minimum tillage. Effective farmland management can also reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and cut energy use during farming. 

For oceans and coasts, mangroves planting and protection of salt marshes and seagrass beds not only advances climate mitigation, but also protects communities from storm surges and rising sea levels. Ensuring healthy coastal environment through the propagation of mangroves also enhance marine life habitats and thereby support sustainable fishing and livelihoods of coastal communities. 

Sustainable management of cities and promoting nature-based solutions to improve the lives of inhabitants can also be a key contributor to reducing carbon emissions in urban communities, which continue to expand across the world. Municipalities are exploring nature-based ways of developing infrastructure such as creating more parks, restoring urban lakes and streams, and encouraging the use of sustainable building materials. Promoting cycling and other means of sustainable mobility are also supporting efforts towards healthier lifestyle of people.

A new book of mine provides a radical new insight into how climate change can be tackled by using the trade system.

Climate Clubs for a Sustainable Future: The Role of International Trade (Kluwer Law International, 2021) argues that making use of existing trading systems is far more effective than initiatives such as the Paris Agreement when it comes to tackling climate change. My research demonstrates that current agreements relating to climate change are ineffective since they are unenforceable. The book sets out why a trading approach to climate change will have more of an impact since they are enforceable.

According to my research, current climate change discussions and agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol, have placed emphasis on ‘responsibility’ that has divided developed and developing nations, but has also been unenforceable. A trade-agreement approach will shift the focus to other factors which the Kyoto Protocol failed to consider including power, diplomatically, politically and economically. According to the book, such an approach would mean there is an incentive to work together to tackle climate change.

We know the science, we know the economics, we know the laws of climate change, but we just don’t know how countries will cooperate on climate change mitigation when agreements are not enforceable. This approach will make equally powerful nations enter into mutually binding agreements, rather than for economically weaker countries to enter potential unbalanced agreements with economic giants. In this connection, the role of international trade in climate change, although universally acknowledged, is not well understood. This groundbreaking book by one of the world’s foremost authorities on international economic law not only investigates this role in great depth, but also explains how free trade agreements can be used as a powerful tool to help mitigate climate change.

According to the research findings, there is also potential for more equality between developed and developing countries.

Under the proposed system, countries that both currently, and in the past, hardly contributed to global emissions may be able to claim exemption from some emission reduction standards.

Focusing on the idea of climate clubs—namely the coalition of the willing—among governments, companies, and/or international institutions, the book Climate Clubs for a Sustainable Future: The Role of International Trade offers insightful analysis on aspects of the trade–climate linkage such as the following:

–      formation of climate clubs;

–      legitimacy and accountability;

–      technological cooperation;

–      green patents;

–      how competition law hinders effective cooperation between companies seeking to produce sustainable goods;

–      domestic policy preferences;

–      recognizing States that should legitimately be allowed to be free riders; and

–      sanctions for noncompliance.

Three detailed case studies are included: a comparison of the U.S. and European Union (EU) Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programs, energy security in the Arab world, and EU–Russia energy trade relations.

With the conviction that global access to energy, mitigating climate change, and benefit from international trade and investment all can be achieved, Climate Clubs for a Sustainable Future: The Role of International Trade offers a fresh understanding of the international trading system as a way to reach a prosperous, modern, and sustainable society that will help decarbonize the economy effectively.

It will be welcomed by all professionals and policymakers concerned with climate change mitigation, and particularly by those active at its nexus with international trade.

Dr Leal-Arcas’s research is funded by the EU Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, most notably a grant of EUR14 million as part of a consortium of 21 institutions to work on renewable energy and smart grids. His most recent book is titled Climate Clubs for a Sustainable Future: The role of international trade, to be published by Kluwer Law International later in 2021.

HSBC’s Climate Solutions Partnership is a global initiative which it launched this year with World Resources Institute and WWF, providing a total of USD 100 million worth of funding over five years. 

The bank is dedicating a philanthropic fund for the project which will focus on managing and restoring coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, to mitigate climate change. It will be implemented along with its project partners in the country which include the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), Emirates Nature-WWF (ENWWF), and International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). 

The project further aims to drive social and economic benefits such as promoting eco-tourism, as well as supporting the country’s food security agenda. 

Abdulfattah Sharaf, HSBC UAE CEO and Head of International, explained that the Climate Solutions Partnership leverages HSBC’s resources, knowledge and insights to drive climate solutions in three focus areas such as scaling-up climate innovation ventures, promoting nature-based solutions, and helping to transition the energy sector towards renewables. 

This is part of HSBC’s mission to achieve a net zero, resilient and sustainable future, he added.

The UAE has submitted its second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).