In their final edition of the year today, the BBC Radio 4 series Rare Earth gave us several “reasons to be cheerful“, where they asked if 2025 could be a year of progress on climate change and the nature crisis.
And however tricky it might be to make predictions, the answer from everyone in the studio was quite a clear “Yes!”
One of the guests, editor in chief of Business Green James Murray, pointed to some pretty convincing evidence to be cheerful – and in his piece from earlier in the month laying out the case that “climate change isn’t ‘woke’” he gave a little more:
More recently, YouGov this month revealed how environmentalism is by far the most popular ideology among the British public. Nearly two thirds of people had a favourable opinion towards environmentalism, including 20 per cent who had a very favourable opinion. It was also the most popular ideology for all age groups, with support ranging from 62 per cent for 25- to 49-year-olds to 69 per cent for 50- to 64-year-olds. Feminism was the only other ideology where a majority of the public expressed support. Fascism was the least popular ideology with a net favourability rating of minus 80 per cent, which is something to cling to the next time the fascists decide to riot.
Looking to what sort of things can be done in 2025, another guest in the Rare Earth studio, former MP Caroline Lucas, brought up the relationship between climate action and poverty reduction. After all, as the guests discussed, the 2018 French ‘gilets jaunes’ protests provide lessons for countries transitioning to low-carbon economies – namely, that the poorest should not take the rap.
As for the UK, can we learn the gilets jaunes’ lessons about class and climate? As for these parts, it’s to be hoped, after the Exeter LTN was scrapped so ignominiously this summer, that politicians will be a little less crass and show a little more effort in bringing people together to come up with workable solutions.
And indeed, over the course of 2025, the CAPS project’s very own new Eco Hub Sidmouth will be sharing practical ideas and encouraging conversations about what we can do locally: look out for more next year!
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