Emotions in Climate Activism

This book contains an Open Access chapter.While recent social science has been preoccupied with eco-anxiety experienced by non-activists, Emotions in Climate Activism breaks new ground by turning the spotlight on climate activists. In a powerful challenge to Global North-dominated narratives, Gravante and Poma delve into the emotional landscapes of climate activism in Mexico, revealing how anger, hope, fear and pain can both ignite and shape collective mobilisation. What drives people to rise up in defence of the planet, and how do emotions shape the climate movements emerging across the Global South?Drawing on over six years of immersive research, this book offers a fresh, culturally rooted understanding of climate emotions and their role in galvanising often youth-led movements across the world. The authors shift the focus from individual mental health to the power of shared emotional experience, mapping how collectives and communities construct meaning, resilience and urgency together.Through comparative insight and vibrant storytelling, Emotions in Climate Activism reveals why the climate crisis isn’t just a scientific or political issue — it’s profoundly emotional. Essential reading for scholars, students and activists alike, this is a bold and timely contribution to our understanding of global environmental action.