As evidence of global warming continues to mount, resistance to addressing it often grows just as quickly, making it increasingly difficult to cut emissions and prepare for inevitable climate impacts. This paradox, explains psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes in What We Think about When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming, stems from a poor grasp of how people actually think and behave.
Drawing on examples from business and government, Stoknes identifies five key psychological barriers that hinder climate action. More importantly, he provides five strategies designed to overcome them by aligning with human nature instead of fighting it. These strategies emphasize social connections, positivity, and simplicity, making sustainable choices more natural and accessible. They also highlight the power of storytelling to create shared meaning and community, while using signals and feedback to reinforce progress.
Stoknes’s approach transforms obstacles into opportunities, showing how collective and personal change can emerge from reimagining how we talk about—and act on—climate change.
