The global conversation around climate change is undergoing a significant transformation, moving away from alarmist rhetoric toward more pragmatic approaches that emphasize economic growth and technological innovation. According to analysis by Bjorn Lomborg, this shift represents progress toward sensible climate policies that can deliver affordable, secure energy while boosting prosperity.
The Retreat from Climate Catastrophe Narratives
What a difference a year makes in the climate discourse. The once-dominant push to radically reshape society to avert climate catastrophe has largely collapsed. Even at Davos, the annual gathering long dominated by climate advocacy, the strongest proponents of climate consensus have abandoned their previous positions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen notably didn't mention the climate transition once in recent addresses, despite having placed it front-and-center in previous years. Similarly, Prime Minister Mark Carney, who once called for "a global net zero commitment" to solve what he described as "an existential threat," now acknowledges that the "architecture of collective problem-solving" supported by World Economic Forum elites has been "diminished." Instead, he's pledging to make Canada an "energy superpower."
Political Realignment on Climate Priorities
In the United States, even Democrats have stopped leading with climate change as a central issue, shifting their focus to affordability, low energy prices, and immediate economic relief. Zohran Mamdani, New York's new democratic socialist mayor, campaigned primarily on rising grocery bills and housing costs, barely discussing climate change at all.
This global shift isn't solely attributable to political changes like the election of Donald Trump. Voters themselves have grown weary of constant climate alarmism. As shouting about doomsday fails to deliver political gains, many climate advocates have dialed back their rhetoric accordingly.
Changing Public Engagement and Media Coverage
Across the global North, people are reading and watching climate change news less frequently. The media itself has less to say on the topic: according to a Washington Post analysis, 2025 saw the fewest media mentions of climate change since March 2022. Some political strategists now advise against talking about "climate change" at all, noting that "when leaders say the words ... voters get bad vibes."
This course correction means media outlets and left-wing politicians are catching up with public sentiment. Surveys consistently show climate change ranks low even compared to other environmental concerns among voters. A Pew Research Center global survey from last August found a reduction over the past few years across high-income countries in the number of people seeing climate change as a major threat. Even advocacy groups and observers have retreated from confrontational doomerism.
The Benefits of Moving Beyond Alarmism
This retreat from alarmism represents good news for sensible policy development. The failed alarmist approach relied on persistent misrepresentations that have distorted the climate conversation. For instance, the claim that extreme events due to climate change have made us dramatically worse off doesn't align with the data.
Deaths from climate-related disasters such as storms, floods, droughts, and fires have declined sharply over the past century, with the past decade seeing some of the lowest numbers ever recorded, despite world population having quadrupled. In the 1920s, the global death toll from such disasters averaged nearly half a million people per year. Last year, that number was less than 10,000—a reduction of more than 97 percent.
The Power of Adaptation and Innovation
This remarkable progress results from better warning systems, stronger infrastructure, improved disaster response capabilities, and the overall growth in wealth that makes such improved protection possible. Adaptation through innovation has proved far more effective than fear-driven restrictions in protecting human lives and livelihoods.
Another significant misconception involves China's energy transition. Contrary to popular narratives, China remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Half a century ago, when its poorest citizens still burned wood and dung for energy, China derived 40 percent of its energy from renewables. As wealth increased, by 2011 fossil fuels were providing 92 percent of the country's energy. That figure has declined only slightly, to 87 percent in 2023, the last year for which comprehensive data are available.
Toward Practical Climate Solutions
The transition from stark exaggeration to muted realism represents genuine progress in climate policy discussions. Now the focus must shift to what actually works: delivering cheap, secure energy to boost prosperity while encouraging clean energy innovation through market mechanisms rather than fear-based mandates.
Sensible climate policy requires recognizing that economic growth and technological advancement provide the resources and tools necessary for effective environmental stewardship. As alarmism recedes, space opens for practical solutions that balance environmental concerns with human prosperity—a balance essential for sustainable progress in addressing climate challenges.
