Climate activism: Rallying to protect the planet’s future

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• July 6, 2022

Insight summary

The escalating consequences of climate change are pushing activists to adopt more direct, interventionist tactics to speed up societal and political action. This shift reflects a growing frustration, especially among younger generations, towards what is seen as a sluggish response to a mounting crisis by both political leaders and corporate entities. As activism intensifies, it catalyzes a broader societal reevaluation, prompting political shifts, legal challenges, and compelling companies to navigate the turbulent transition towards more sustainable practices.

Climate change activism context

As the consequences of climate change reveal themselves, climate activists have changed their strategy to draw the world’s attention to climate change. Climate activism has developed in parallel with a growing awareness of climate change within the public’s consciousness. Anxiety over the future and anger at policymakers and corporate polluters is common among millennials and Gen Z.

According to data provided by the Pew Research Center in May 2021, more than six in 10 Americans believe that the federal government, major corporations, and the energy industry are doing too little to stop climate change. Anger and desperation have led many groups to forego the polite versions of activism, such as silent protests and petitions. 

For example, interventionist activism is prominent in Germany, where citizens have created barricades and treehouses to thwart plans to clear forests like Hambach and Dannenröder. Though their efforts have produced mixed results, the resistance displayed by climate activists is likely to only intensify over time. Germany has further experienced mass protests like Ende Gelände as thousands enter pit mines to block digging equipment, block rails transporting coal, and so forth. In some cases, fossil fuel-related equipment and infrastructure have also been destroyed. Likewise, planned pipeline projects in Canada and the US have also been affected by a growing radicalism, with trains carrying crude oil stopped by activists and court action launched against these projects. 

Disruptive impact

The growing concerns over climate change are changing the way activists approach this issue. Initially, a lot of the work was about spreading information and encouraging voluntary actions to lower emissions. But now, as the situation becomes more urgent, activists are moving towards taking direct actions to force changes. This shift comes from the feeling that actions to fight climate change are moving too slowly compared to the increasing threats. As activists push harder for new laws and rules, we might see more legal actions aimed at speeding up policy changes and holding companies accountable.

In the political sphere, the way leaders handle climate change is becoming a big deal for voters, especially younger ones who are deeply worried about the environment. Political parties that don’t show strong commitment to tackling environmental issues might lose support, particularly from younger voters. This changing attitude could push political parties to take stronger stands on environmental issues to keep people's support. However, it could also make political discussions more heated as climate change becomes a more debated issue.

Companies, especially those in the fossil fuel industry, are facing many challenges due to climate change issues. Damage to infrastructure and a growing number of lawsuits are costing these companies a lot of money and hurting their reputations. There's a growing push to move towards greener projects, but this change is not easy. Events like the conflict in Ukraine in 2022 and other geopolitical issues have caused disruptions in energy supplies, which could slow down the shift to greener energy. Also, oil and gas companies might find it hard to hire younger people, who often see these companies as big contributors to climate change. This lack of fresh talent could slow down the pace of change in these companies towards more eco-friendly operations.

Implications of climate activism turning interventionist 

Wider implications of climate activism intensifying toward interventionism may include: 

• More student groups forming on campuses worldwide, seeking to recruit members to intensify future climate change protest efforts. 
• Extremist climate activist groups increasingly targeting oil and gas sector facilities, infrastructure, and even employees with acts of sabotage or violence.
• Political candidates in select jurisdictions and countries shifting their positions to support views held by younger climate change activists. 
• Fossil fuel companies gradually transitioning towards green energy production models and coming to compromises with protests on specific projects, especially those contested in various courts of law.
• Renewable energy firms experiencing increased interest from skilled, young college graduates seeking to play a part in the world’s transition to cleaner forms of energy.
• Increasing incidents of aggressive climate change demonstrations from activists, resulting in clashes between police and young activists.

Questions to consider

• Do you believe that climate activism makes a significant difference in the positions taken by fossil fuel companies regarding their transition to renewable energy?
• Do you think the destruction of fossil fuel infrastructure is morally justified?