Help us ensure a cleaner, greener, fairer future

We have a bold ambition to grow so that we can support more individuals, communities, health systems and societies to understand and effectively respond to the mental health impacts of the climate crisis. 

By supporting us, you will accelerate our work in the following areas:

Knowledge

• Build an urgently needed evidence base across global settings, to make ‘hidden’ interactions between climate change, mental health and climate action tangible and accessible, so the costs of inaction and benefits of action are properly accounted for. In particular, we want to extend our work in the UK and globally to understand the experiences of climate distress, the relationship with mental health and wellbeing, climate agency and action, climate narratives and coping strategies/support tools. This includes a focus on young people and other groups particularly affected.

Education

• Educate mental health professionals to identify the mental health impacts of climate change, and equip them with the tools to mitigate the mental health burden climate change is placing on societies. Our ambition is to develop a bespoke course that will help mental health professionals develop this critical understanding.

Support tools

• Support individuals, communities and leaders to share and process their emotional and psychological responses to the climate crisis, protect their mental health and wellbeing, and take action towards a more hopeful future together. We will develop a series of workshops in schools that bring together young people, researchers and climate-aware mental health leads to empower more people to use their voices for positive change.

Policy

• Educate and connect decision-makers across sectors to help make win-win policies for climate and mental health a reality. We will work with leaders to develop a tailored education offering and ensure a more joined-up approach in decision-making that dissolves the current siloed approach.

Connection

• Develop a resource hub to connect people across sectors with the information, tools and contacts needed to both understand and respond to the climate crisis and its emotional impacts in their work and communities.

For more information on how you can support or partner with Climate Cares, send the team an email at climatecares@imperial.ac.uk.