Reflecting on an intensive week of learning in my first course, “Leading Climate Action in Society Part 1” in the Royal Roads University’s Master of Arts in Climate Action Leadership, I was surprised by a new idea.

I have heard the phrase, Go Slow to Go Fast, and a similar proverb was shared with the class by our course instructor: “Hurry Slowly” (E. Childs, personal communication, June 4, 2021). These phrases initially contradicted my thinking around climate action. However, this week, I learned how slowing down might help humanity mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.   

I have climate anxiety about our world leaders not acting fast enough to meet the Paris target of limiting warning to 1.5 degrees by 2030. Climate risks are larger if this target is exceeded and “some impacts may be long-lasting or irreversible, such as the loss of some ecosystems (high confidence)” (IPCC, 2018, Page 5). My anxiety is heighted by the need for fundamental societal change to address climate on a global scale. Can that happen in nine years?

One idea that can assist with transformation of our society is the Indigenous conceptualization of relationality. Gram-Hanssen et al. (2021) describe “right relations” as an obligation to live up to our responsibility when in relationships, whether those are with other humans, other species, the land or the climate. They suggest transformation researchers should embody listening deeply, self-reflexivity, creating space and being in action (p. 1) with the hope of moving towards a decolonized humanity. 

Although these characteristics of relationality can take time, I believe they will build our connectedness to each other and respect for our natural environment, which in turn, will lead to more transformative change both at the political and grassroots level. Ultimately this “slower” process will help us move ahead in a timelier fashion, and lead to longer lasting solutions.   

References

1. IPCC (2018). Summary for Policymakers. In: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)]. In Press.
   
   
2. Gram-Hanssen,I. et al. (2021). Decolonizing transformations through ‘right relations.’ Sustain Sci (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00960-9.