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This week, we’ll explore a growing business risk disproportionately affecting the latest wave of graduates: climate anxiety.

So, what is climate anxiety?

Climate anxiety is the “heightened emotional, mental or somatic distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate system”.

It is often caused by watching the “impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children, and later generations”.

The difference between climate anxiety and other forms of anxiety is said to be the scale of the stressor and the lack of obvious mitigation: climate change can feel like an insurmountable threat at times, and exposure therapy can be difficult to identify.

Why is it important for businesses to address climate anxiety?

The last few years have seen a dramatic cultural shift in perception towards climate change:

62% of people in the UK worry about climate change.Young people ages 16-25 (the next generation of workers) are significantly more likely to have climate anxiety.Climate anxiety threatens the state of employee health and well-being, which in turn affects company productivity.

Reported impacts of climate anxiety include a sense of powerlessness, work demotivation, and lost focus.

Businesses that listen and respond to their employees' concerns on climate change can mitigate risk and enhance employee well-being, resilience, and productivity.

Our employees must be educated on the future of the climate, but there are measures we can take to inspire confidence rather than extinguish motivation.

4 Actions you can take with your business to reduce climate anxiety in employees: