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Climate “doomism” could be as dangerous as climate change denial, the chief executive of the Environment Agency has warned.
James Bevan, who will leave the EA in March, said fear was not the most useful emotion when it comes to tackling the climate crisis because it can paralyse people into inaction.
Speaking at the University of East Anglia, Bevan said industries and consumers who are all part of the problem must also be the solution.
He acknowledged that the “fear exists for a good reason” as the consequences of climate change impact life and communities directly and indirectly more and more.
However, he added: “Fear tends to exhaust us rather than energise. And what we sometimes hear from sections of the media, influencers, some well-intentioned campaigners and politicians is all focussed on The Fear. The Fear that we’re running out of time. The Fear that what we’re doing is never going to be enough. The ultimate Fear, that humanity is doomed.”
Doomism, Bevan warned, could be almost as dangerous as climate change denial. “Indeed, doomism might even be the new denial, and it’s equally misplaced.”
Fear and doom are “not justified by the facts” the outgoing chief executive warned of the emotions, which could lead to inaction.
Putting forward a case for climate optimism, Bevan, who has led the EA since 2015, simplified solving climate change against the doom and fear: Mitigation through reduction of greenhouses gases, and adapting infrastructure, lifestyles and economies for the future.
Mitigation and adaptation of infrastructure is already underway in the water industry and others, he noted, despite adaptation generally being “the Cinderella of climate”.
Although the steps can be simplified, achieving them will take commitment and collective buy-in from governments around the world, businesses and individuals to make grand changes.
The water sector in England and Wales has jointly committed to achieving net zero by 2030, two decades ahead of government targets. It set the ambitious goal to spearhead and encourage innovative thinking and methods to reduce harm from greenhouse gases.
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