Climate change paradox: Why we struggle to act on climate change

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By Steven Mwandha

During Labour Day, I found myself pondering a nagging question: why is global climate action so half-hearted, even in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence and increasingly visible consequences? Seeking answers, I turned to George Marshall’s Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change. His insights were both enlightening and unsettling.

Marshall doesn’t see inaction as a result of ignorance. Instead, he frames climate change as a psychological and social challenge rooted in human evolution. Our brains are designed to respond to immediate threats such as predators, natural disasters, infectious diseases not slow-burning crises like global warming.

Because climate change is gradual and abstract, our instincts don’t perceive it as urgent. It’s like the ominous music in a horror movie we choose to ignore until it’s too late.

This explains why many people treat climate change as a distant concern something for future generations or faraway regions. Yet, the evidence is all around us. One of the bluntest recent examples of climate disruption is the ongoing 2025 India–Pakistan heat wave, which began unusually early in April this year. Temperatures have surged as high as 48°C in parts of Pakistan, with many areas across both countries enduring heat levels 5–8°C above seasonal norms.

This isn’t just extreme weather, it’s a glimpse of what unchecked warming looks like. The heat wave has affected millions, straining public health systems, upending agriculture, and pushing communities into survival mode. Once again, nature is broadcasting a clear warning, that climate action is needed yesterday.

One of the main obstacles is “psychological distance.” Many, especially those in power, see climate change as something affecting others, elsewhere, later. Take President Trump’s infamous climate skepticism. He dismissed global warming as a hoax, undermined scientific consensus, and prioritised short-term economic interests over planetary health going so far as to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. It took President Biden’s administration to reverse course and rejoin the pact, aiming to reestablish the U.S. as a global leader on climate.

The gap between everyday experience and political response is striking. A farmer dealing with repeated crop failures from persistent drought lives the harsh reality of climate change.

Meanwhile, policymakers or executives may treat climate reports as just another entry in a briefing note. Disasters like rising water levels, floods, and droughts are too often brushed aside as remote concerns until they escalate into full-blown crises.

Social norms also play a powerful role. We’re wired to follow our peer groups. If family, friends, or political allies downplay climate risks, we’re likely to follow suit, even if we know better. Globally, partisan divides further hinder unified climate action. Another issue is the sheer scale and complexity of the crisis.

Many feel helpless. The problem seems too vast for individual or even national solutions. This fuels denial or apathy. It’s often easier to fix potholes than invest in climate resilience, even though the latter has greater long-term value.

Marshall doesn’t offer easy fixes, but his work gives us a lens to understand the barriers. To move from awareness to action, we must make climate change personal and urgent. Social norms need to shift towards sustainability, empowering leaders and citizens alike. We have to close the gap between knowing and doing.

Overcoming this inertia means changing how we perceive climate change, making it tangible and relevant in daily life. We need cultural and policy shifts that reward sustainable practices and emphasise the consequences of inaction. Leaders must embrace bold, systemic change not just incremental tweaks.

The message at COP29 was clear. the age of half-measures is over. With the fate of the planet at stake, leaders must act decisively. This is not the time for political convenience or delayed plans. If action is deferred, COP29 will be remembered not as a breakthrough but as a missed opportunity.

The planet’s clock is ticking. We cannot afford to ignore the warning signs. Understanding our psychological blind spots is the first step to forging real, lasting solutions.

Let us not repeat the tragic folly of the eight-member band led by Wallace Hartley who continued to played on as the Titanic sank on the night of 14-April-1912. It was a grand gesture of resolve, perhaps, but ultimately futile as all perished in the disaster.

I hope the meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland, will serve as a decisive catalyst for advancing meaningful climate action.

The writer is a Law, Governance and ESG Expert