Should We Experience Climate Change as Grief? | Giulia Sonetti

Foto de Eduardo Margareto

“I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change. I thought that with thirty years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy. And to deal with those, we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.”

— James Gustave Speth, environmentalist and former dean of the Yale School of Forestry

How to Transform Climate Grief into Active Hope

In these times of multiple crises—climate, ecological, social, and even personal—many people feel a dull, persistent ache, what we sometimes call “eco-anxiety” or “climate grief.” This isn’t an overreaction; it’s the logical consequence of living in a world where temperatures are rising, ecosystems are deteriorating, and much of the news we consume daily reminds us that the future seems uncertain.

Some sources, such as the global survey published in The Lancet in 2021, have shown that 75% of young people (ages 16–25) consider the future frightening, and 45% say their daily lives are affected by climate-related concerns. Meanwhile, organizations like the American Psychiatric Association report that more than half of the U.S. population feels uneasy about the mental health effects of climate change. These figures confirm that the pain we feel for the Earth is not an “individual problem” but a legitimate response to the gap between what we know (the crisis is real and urgent), what we feel (pain, frustration, even anger), and what we’re expected to do (carry on with “normal life”).

So, how do we move from paralyzing fear to active, transformative hope?

Reconnecting Body, Community, and Earth

An essential point is understanding that grieving for the Earth does not mean giving up: acknowledging what has been lost (species, landscapes, certainties, etc.) and truly “feeling it” can help mobilize deep energy and commitment. As researcher and communicator Britt Wray shows in her book Generation Dread, honoring the emotions brought about by the environmental crisis, far from sinking us, can pave the way for collective action.

At the same time, addressing climate change from the “inner” realm doesn’t mean becoming introverted or disengaged from society. Rather, it implies a shift in focus, one emphasized by many strands of psychology and transformative education: we need to reconnect with ourselves, with community, and with the Earth:

• The body: Practicing self-regulation, self-care, and emotional awareness (through meditation, conscious breathing, contact with nature, etc.). These practices can release accumulated anxiety and help us avoid falling into paralysis or despair.

• The community: Remembering that we are not alone. Neighborhood groups, urban garden networks, cultural and volunteer organizations—or more informal spaces like “climate grief cafés”—offer supportive and motivating connections. Sharing our concerns with others can ease the emotional burden and build stronger bonds for action.

• The Earth: Not seeing it merely as a “resource” but as a living being that also needs care. This includes adopting more sustainable lifestyles and work habits (active transportation, local shopping, waste reduction, etc.) and cultivating the ethical or even spiritual dimension that reminds us of our interdependence with all living beings.

From Grief to Action: Small Gestures, Big Impact

Often, we think that solutions to climate change lie solely in the hands of governments and large corporations. While they are indeed responsible for large-scale policies and actions, our daily choices and community practices also matter. For example:

• Mobility and social care projects: Initiatives like Cycling Without Age (active in over 50 countries) show how something as simple as taking elderly or mobility-impaired people for a ride in a trishaw—reconnecting them with the city and nature—can positively influence mental health and social cohesion. Its impact on sustainability goes beyond reducing emissions: it strengthens intergenerational empathy and a sense that “we matter” to one another, while also lowering reliance on polluting vehicles.

• Education for transformation: Several university and school programs, like Climate Wayfinding, create spaces where students and teachers can discuss vital questions—“What can I do? How do I maintain hope?”—that traditional academia often overlooks on an emotional level. Initiatives like the Teacher’s Guide to Climate Emotions emphasize the urgency of integrating the emotional impact of climate change into education.

• Communities of collective care: From climate grief ceremonies (such as those led by scientist and Zen teacher Kritee Kanko in Colorado) to environmental volunteer groups and neighborhood networks planting trees or sharing agroecological food. These communities foster a sense of belonging and reduce individual anxiety by transforming it into collective strength.

Feeling to Lead

The climate crisis demands urgent external solutions: energy policy changes, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, soil regeneration, biodiversity protection, and more. But it also calls for an inner transformation that challenges our values, habits, and consumerist narratives, as highlighted in the “IMAGINE Sustainability” study (Ives et al., 2023). Only by doing this can we sustain the long-term will and creativity needed to reverse the momentum toward collapse.

This is where the spiritual dimension—or at least emotional depth—becomes relevant: “feeling” the pain for the Earth is not weakness, but a call to care. As the quote attributed to James Gustave Speth suggests, the greatest environmental problems (selfishness, greed, apathy) won’t be solved with data or technology alone, but through spiritual and cultural transformation.

Active Hope

It’s not about sugarcoating reality or denying our anxiety: we acknowledge the magnitude of the crisis, we grieve what is lost, and we still choose to act with commitment and tenderness. Having active hope (in the words of environmentalist Joanna Macy) means continuing to plant seeds of change—no matter how small—and weaving care-based networks to sustain each other.

Small actions, like riding with an elderly person in a trishaw, starting a neighborhood garden, or opening a classroom dialogue about climate emotions, may not change the world immediately, but they can transform the way we live in it—and strengthen a collective spirit capable of sparking greater transformations.

In short, living through climate change as a grieving process does not mean resignation, but creating space to feel and share the anguish and sorrow for what is being lost, and then turning that pain into action. Far from focusing on personal achievements or grandstanding, the most important thing is recognizing that emotions like “eco-anxiety” or “climate grief” point to a disconnection that needs healing. We can reconnect through mutual care and with the Earth itself, and from there, foster regenerative, collective, and hope-driven actions.

Ultimately, grief teaches us we are not alone: we need each other to move through it—and, hopefully, to drive forward the social, cultural, political, and spiritual transformation we long for.

Brief References:

• Britt Wray: Generation Dread and her work at Stanford University (CIRCLE program).

• The Lancet (2021): Study on eco-anxiety among youth.

• APA (American Psychiatric Association): Reports on climate change and mental health.

• Kritee Kanko: Collective grief ceremonies in Colorado.

• Cycling Without Age: Program active in over 50 countries for mobility and social inclusion of the elderly.

• Otto Scharmer and the Presencing Institute: Theory U.

• IMAGINE Sustainability: Research by Ives, Schäpke, Woiwode, and Wamsler (2023) on the importance of “inner–outer” transformation in sustainability.

Giulia Sonetti / «Talentos con Acento»

Giulia Sonetti (Italy, 1976) lives by the motto: “Be the change you want to see in the world!”—a principle she applies both professionally and personally.

She holds a PhD in Environment and Territory, a Master’s in Renewable Energy and Architecture, a Master’s in Building Engineering and Architecture, and is a licensed architect.

She currently works as a transdisciplinary researcher and Beatriu de Pinós Fellow at the Institute of Science and Technology for Sustainability (ISST) at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, in Barcelona, Spain.

Previously, she was a postdoctoral researcher at CENSE (Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Lisbon), a fellow of the Postdoc Academy for Transformational Leadership (Berlin and other locations), and a professor in international programs such as the MSc in Urban Resilience (UIC, Barcelona) and the MSc in Urban Tech Transition (IED, Barcelona). She is also certified as an associate professor in both Italy and Spain.

Her core strengths include: expertise in interaction and implementation, a passion for subversiveness, problem-framing, interdisciplinary executive science, transition management toward sustainability, and the design and facilitation of transformative learning.