Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of today. It is a consequence of human activities, affecting life on Earth in many ways.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, climate change has been caused by human activities and is expected to increase in intensity over time. As a result, many people have been looking for ways to combat these effects.
The solution to this problem lies in three tactics: mitigation, adaptation, and transformation.
It’s time to make a change – world leaders are speaking up & saying it’s time for us to save the planet. We have compiled a list of the most impactful climate change quotes from global leaders.
35 Climate Change Quotes That Are Impactful
1. “The time for seeking global solutions is running out. We can find suitable solutions only if we act together and in agreement.” ― Pope Francis
2. “Climate change is the greatest threat to our existence in our short history on this planet. Nobody’s going to buy their way out of its effects.” ― Mark Ruffalo
3. “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” — Albert Einstein
4. “If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money.” — Guy McPherson
5. “Climate change is sometimes misunderstood as being about changes in the weather. In reality, it is about changes in our very way of life.” ― Paul Polman
6. “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.” ― Jacques-Yves Cousteau
7. “The climate is changing. The proper political debate would be how to deal with these risks.” ― Steven Chu
8. “Climate change will test our intelligence, our compassion and our will. But we are equal to that challenge.” ― Justin Trudeau
9. “Pollution and climate change by excessive burning of fossil fuels are real threats, not the people who warn that we must take these threats seriously.” ― David Suzuki
10. “Participation – that’s what’s gonna save the human race.” ― Pete Seeger
11. “The violence that exists in the human heart is also manifest in the symptoms of illness that we see in the Earth, the water, the air and in living things.” ― Pope Francis
12. “I have long understood that climate change is not only an environmental issue – it is a humanitarian, economic, health, and justice issue as well.” ― Frances Beinecke
13. “Climate change knows no borders. It will not stop before the Pacific Islands and the whole of the international community here has to shoulder a responsibility to bring about sustainable development.” ― Angela Merkel
14. “It’s not climate change that needs to be tackled. It is the political power of the fossil fuel industry.” ― Richard Denniss
15. “If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.” ― David Suzuki
16. “It’s a collective endeavor, it’s collective accountability and it may not be too late.” ― Christine Lagarde
17. “I’ve starred in a lot of science fiction movies and, let me tell you something, climate change is not science fiction. This is a battle in the real world, it is impacting us right now.” ― Arnold Schwarzenegger
18. “We are the last people who can prevent catastrophe on the planet. We have no excuse for failure.” ― Amina J. Mohammed
19. “By polluting the oceans, not mitigating CO2 emissions and destroying our biodiversity, we are killing our planet. Let us face it, there is no planet B.” ― Emmanuel Macron
20. “We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.” ― Barack Obama
21. “The earth is not dying. It is being killed, and the people killing it have names and addresses.” ― Bruce Duncan Phillips
22. “Believe in the power of your own voice. The more noise you make, the more accountability you demand from your leaders, the more our world will change for the better.” ― Al Gore
23. “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” ― Marshall McLuhan
24. “Although the magnitude of climate change may make individuals feel helpless, individual action is critical for meaningful change.” ― Mia Armstrong
25. “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” ― Paulo Coelho
26. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ― Dr Jane Goodall
27. “We can’t keep our promise to the next generation to build an economy fit for the future, unless we ensure our planet has a future.” ― Philip Hammond
28. “Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable future but, at the same time, addressing the climate challenge presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, security and a brighter future for all.” ― Ban Ki-Moon
29. “In the years ahead, the only sustainable growth will be green growth. It’s a guarantee of jobs and prosperity for generations to come. It’s a massive opportunity.” ― Nick Clegg
30. “Climate change is a lot like death. We all understand it’s inevitable, but few of us truly accept it.” ― Brian McDermott
31. “The world is reaching the tipping point beyond which climate change may become irreversible. If this happens, we risk denying present and future generations the right to a healthy and sustainable planet – the whole of humanity stands to lose.” ― Kofi Annan
32. “Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now.” ― Barack Obama
33. “We don’t have time to sit on our hands as our planet burns. For young people, climate change is bigger than election or re-election. It’s life or death.” ― Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
34. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” ― Native American Proverb
35. “Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security, and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” ― Ban Ki-moon
