Looking over this issue, one of the many striking things for me is the process artist Frances Hatch uses to create her paintings. Up close, and even in some images, they convey a sense of the power of our environment. I recall once seeing Frances working at Cogdon Beach. It was a wet, blustery day, and she somehow seemed to blend into the surroundings. Dressed for the weather, her focus on capturing the feel of the environment was inspiring. That memory reminded me of other environmental concerns. After a particularly wet winter and ongoing evidence of the damage caused by climate change, it is good to see that public support for climate action remains strong. However, there is a worrying trend towards negative opinions from those with a different agenda. Environmental campaigner, Trewin Restorick, whom we interviewed in April 2024, writes in his latest blog about a “false backlash” that is emerging. ‘Public support for climate action remains relatively strong,’ he says. ‘Yet the story we hear about it is increasingly negative.’ Media coverage—particularly from right-leaning outlets—now tends to be negative twice as often as public opinion justifies. This distortion fuels a dangerous cycle, he explains. When net zero appears unpopular, investment slows, and political ambitions diminish. He suggests that the upcoming May elections may be a crucial turning point for this narrative. Citing the damage caused by populist rhetoric, he says technocratic arguments for net zero risk being drowned out by populist rhetoric. In politics, perception often swiftly influences policy; what is deemed “unpopular” is quietly abandoned. The May elections are a test of the climate narrative itself. Bridging the gap between this perceived backlash and actual public support is now the most urgent task for the sustainability movement.
