Before I started my journey into the MACAL program, I like so many other people in the world, sought solutions to the climate crisis. However, when I look back to what I read and discussed with friends and family these were only surface level solutions such as recycling or driving electric cars. This general lack of understanding of what’s truly required is shared by many Canadians as “the most common solution still given in focus groups is recycling” (Bennett et al., 2021, p. 2). And who could blame any concerned citizen when the little coverage climate change does get, tends to focus on such actions and solutions. However, with the added benefit of my ongoing education my focus is turning to the inherent limitations and barriers within society. Consequently, my journey thus far has taught me how everyone perceives climate change differently, the limited capacity for change, and the ingrained barriers to transformation.

The impacts of climate change are not felt evenly across society. According to the Government of Canada (2022), populations at higher risk from climate change include Indigenous Peoples, those who are socially and economically disadvantaged and individuals of poor health. Accordingly, this disparity in risk influences perceptions of the crisis and in turn, what is deemed to be a suitable solution. For instance, solutions often include driving electric vehicles to reduce emissions or upgrading one’s property to be more energy efficient (Turrentine, 2022). Of course, these are solutions but how does it help if only parts of society are able to avail of or afford such options. Consequently, climate action leadership demands equitable solutions that don’t reinforce or perpetuate existing inequality. This is further supported by building the capacity to change.

Even the most capable and knowledgeable climate action leader will face barriers in a society’s ability to change. In the case of climate adaptation, one may refer to this as adaptive capacity and can be measured by “income indicators, education statistics, (…) [and] business continuity schemes” (Climate Adapt, n.d.). Therefore, as these measures improve so too does the capacity to change. Similarly, on an individual level, the capacity or motivation for climate action is dependant on one’s own economic security and wellbeing as in a primarily free market economy, decisions are “shaped by two forces, self-interest, and competition” (Kenton & Estevez, 2021). And so given the effects these two forces have, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Figure 1 theorises one’s motivations relative to their respective needs. It begins at the bottom with basic needs such as food and shelter before working its way to the top at Self Actualization, the point where an individual becomes “concerned for the welfare of humanity” (Mcleod & Guy Evans, 2023). And so, while many share their concern for the climate crisis, leaders need to be realistic in their expectations for change as the ability to act may be out of reach. Additionally, deep-rooted systemic issues provide further challenges to leaders.

Figure 1

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Note: Sourced from Mcleod & Guy Evans (2023)

Despite calls for transformation, incrementalism may be required to overcome systemic barriers to change. For example, the root causes of climate change often center on systemic issues such as the capitalist system and its inherent unsustainability (Noor, 2021). However, despite calls for the end of capitalism, I have little confidence in the widespread acceptance of transformation. So, while we can point to those who benefit from this system and “are powerfully incentivised to deny that it is all that bad” (McDuff, 2019), many others are still focusing their efforts on succeeding here. For instance, generally speaking of course, how do I tell a fellow business student their education is tailored to this unsustainable system. Yet, at the same time, this education may offer them the best chance to meet their needs, improve capacity and potentially reach self actualisation. Therefore, an incremental approach offers an alternative as it considers “marginal changes in infrastructure, institutions and practices” (Pelling et al., 2015, p. 117). Hence, despite the need for transformation, climate action leadership may gain a greater following with an incremental approach. Additionally, this allows one to take a step back and analyse the whole picture to ensure equity, capacity, motivation, and empathy are considered in climate action.

In summary, climate leadership should be guided by equity, building capacity to change, and incrementalism. Of course, this is not to say I don’t think transformation is needed, but rather I acknowledge the way path dependency continues to shape society and resist sudden change. Such influences on inequity, behaviours, and unsustainable practices have been in play for decades so overcoming them will be a big challenge for leaders. However, recognising these barriers is one thing, truly leveraging change is another challenge yet to be explored.

References

Bennet, A., Hatch, C., & Pike, C. (2021). Climate Messaging That Works. Climate Narratives Initiative. https://climateaccess.org/sites/default/files/Climate%20Messaging%20that%20Works%20%20Talking%20Energy%20Transition%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20Canada.pdf

Climate Adapt. (n.d.). Assessing risks and vulnerability to climate change: How to assess adaptive capacity? Retrieved June 1, 2023, from https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/knowledge/tools/adaptation-support-tool/step-2-4-t/index_html

Government of Canada. (2022, November 7). Who is most impacted by climate change. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/populations-risk.html

Kenton,W., & Estevez, E. (2021, May 28). Self-Interest: What It Means in Economics, With Examples. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/self-interest.asp

McDuff, P. (2019, March 18). Ending climate change requires the end of capitalism. Have we got the stomach for it? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/18/ending-climate-change-end-capitalism

Mcleod, S., & Guy Evans, O. (2023, June 7). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Noor, S. (2021). Why We Need to Change Capitalism for Climate Action. Earth.org. https://earth.org/change-capitalism-for-climate-action/

Pelling, M., O’Brien, K., & Matyas, D. (2015, December 18). Adaptation and Transformation. Climatic Change, 133.113- 127. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-014-1303-0

Turrentine, J. (2022, December 13). What Are the Solutions to Climate Change? https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-are-solutions-climate-change