Across the world, people are increasingly experiencing climate anxiety — the worry, fear, and grief connected to environmental change. These emotions often stem from a deep sense of care, belonging, and connection to the natural world. For young people in particular, climate anxiety is becoming a major concern, affecting their well-being, motivation, and ability to imagine the future.

Recognising the importance of these emotional experiences, the Climate Educators Network (CEN) is creating a resource that documents how people cope with climate-related worry. This survey gathers stories, reflections, and creative practices that can help others feel supported and less alone. By bringing together lived experiences, we hope to build a compassionate tool that supports climate education, student well-being, and emotional resilience.

This work began in April 2025, when a small group of multidisciplinary professionals – therapists, climate researchers, and educators – came together to explore possibilities of working on the intersections of climate education and climate anxiety. These discussions revealed a deeper need for a resource that could help us understand how people navigate climate anxiety.

The idea resonated strongly with CEN’s broader goal of strengthening climate education in India. Climate learning is not only about knowledge and skills, it is also about supporting the emotional lives of students who are already living through a changing climate. The survey emerged from this intersection of well-being, mental health, and climate change, aiming to bring attention to an experience that is widespread but often unspoken.

Who is involved?

This initiative is a collaboration between:

• Climate Educators Network (CEN) — leading the vision and anchoring the work within climate education efforts
• Asar Social Impact Advisors — CEN’s strategic partner, supporting survey design and research processes
• Mohini Singh — a psychotherapist and expressive arts facilitator, creating reflective, embodied, and affirming spaces for individuals and communities. (https://themindclan.com/professionals/mohini-singh-11072023/), https://www.malharwellness.com/team
• Shalini Rao — a facilitator, educator, psychotherapist and artist exploring themes of grief, self-determination, creativity and social justice. (https://www.shalinirao.net)

We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Bhakti Phatak and Rajni Divya Kumar, who were part of the initial ideation and developing the survey concept and design.