70 Climate Change Quotes to Inspire You to Take Action
If global warming and saving the planet are issues that are close to your heart, these climate change quotes will inspire you even further into action.
The world we are living in continues to change year after year.
As people, not only are we starting to see the impact of our actions on our planet, but it’s becoming impossible to deny it.
What are you doing to conserve the planet?
While some believe it’s nothing more than a political ploy, the climate change quotes below show the reality of the situation.
Climate change is impacting weather patterns across the globe.
If we want things to change for future generations, we must take action.
Don’t forget to read these inspiring Jane Goodall quotes about the environment.
If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement.
Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.
Climate change quotes on the urgency of action
1. “We have to wake up to the fierce urgency of the now.” – Jim Yong Kim
You will also enjoy our article on quotes about change.
2. “The time is past when humankind thought it could selfishly draw on exhaustible resources. We know now that the world is not a commodity.” – Francois Hollande
3. “Action is the antidote to despair.” – Edward Abbey
4. “Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now.” – Barack Obama
5. “It’s a collective endeavor, it’s collective accountability and it may not be too late.” – Christine Lagarde
6. “We are the last people who can prevent catastrophe on the planet. We have no excuse for failure.” – Amina J. Mohammed
7. “The technology is here. The people are ready. Scientists have spoken. Progressive businesses are stepping forward. Now we need governments to take climate action!” – WWF International
8. “We would never consider this level of risk in any other walk of life, yet we seem prepared to take this risk with our planet. Conversely, the scientific evidence shows that we can create a positive future, but only with bold action now.” – Johan Rockstrom
9. “Climate change is a lot like death. We all understand it’s inevitable, but few of us truly accept it.” – Brian McDermott
10. “Participation – that’s what’s gonna save the human race.” – Pete Seeger
Climate change quotes about the future
11. “I think calling it climate change is rather limiting. I would rather call it the everything change.” – Margaret Atwood
12. “I have become convinced that climate change is the biggest threat to human rights in the 21st century.” – Mary Robinson
13. “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
14. “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
15. “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
16. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb
17. “We are all living together on a single planet, which is threatened by our own actions. And if you don’t have some kind of global cooperation, nationalism is just not on the right level to tackle the problems, whether it’s climate change or whether it’s technological disruption.” – Yuval Noah Harari
18. “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
Also read these memorable Steve Irwin quotes that will activate your inner planet activist.
Climate change quotes on taking responsibility
19. “People of conscience need to break their ties with corporations financing the injustice of climate change.” – Desmond Tutu (see more Desmond Tutu quotes)
20. “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
21. “The earth is not dying. It is being killed, and the people killing it have names and addresses.” – Bruce Duncan Phillips
22. “Climate change will test our intelligence, our compassion and our will. But we are equal to that challenge.” – Justin Trudeau
23. “We are the bystanders who must choose to intervene or be defined by our failure.” – Lawrence Torcello
24. “We are the first generation to be able to end poverty, and the last generation that can take steps to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Future generations will judge us harshly if we fail to uphold our moral and historical responsibilities.” – Ban Ki-moon
25. “Men argue. Nature acts.” – Voltaire
26. “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” – Marshall McLuhan
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of Earth Day quotes that inspire an eco-friendly lifestyle.
27. “Although the magnitude of climate change may make individuals feel helpless, individual action is critical for meaningful change.” – Mia Armstrong
Climate change quotes on appreciating our world
28. “Life sucks a lot less when you add mountain air, a campfire and some peace and quiet.” – Brooke Hampton
29. “Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.” — Sylvia Earle
30. “Time spent amongst trees is never time wasted.” – Unknown
31. “Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
32. “By discovering nature, you discover yourself.” – Maxime Lagacé
33. “All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.” – Chief Seattle
34. “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
35. “The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” – Albert Einstein
36. “I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” – John Muir
37. “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
38. “Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things.” – Lao Tzu
39. “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” – Henry David Thoreau
More climate change quotes
40. “The climate is changing. The proper political debate would be how to deal with these risks.” – Steven Chu
41. “If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money.” — Guy McPherson
42. “It’s not climate change that needs to be tackled. It is the political power of fossil fuel industry.” – Richard Denniss
43. “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
44. “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” — Albert Einstein
45. “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
46. “Business cannot succeed in a society that fails.” – Peter Bakker
47. “This is not just about the environment, it’s about the community, it’s about jobs, it’s about justice.” – Eddie Bautista
48. “In a world where profit is consistently put before both people and the planet, climate economics has everything to do with ethics and morality.” – Naomi Klein
49. “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” – Paulo Coelho
50. “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
Climate Change Quotes From Famous Leaders
51. We cannot compromise with the earth; we cannot compromise with the catastrophe of unchecked climate change, so we must compromise with one another. — Gordon Brown
52. “Climate change is a terrible problem, and it absolutely needs to be solved. It deserves to be a huge priority.” — Bill Gates
53. “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 a sustainable development.” — Angela Merkel
54. The effects of climate change are real and must be acted on.” — Joe Biden
55. “Climate change, if unchecked, is an urgent threat to health, food supplies, biodiversity, and livelihoods across the globe.” — John F. Kerry
56. “On climate change, we often don’t fully appreciate that it is a problem. We think it is a problem waiting to happen.” — Kofi Annan
57. “The impact of climate change is a tremendous risk to the security and well-being of our countries.” — Nancy Pelosi
58. “Climate change is moving faster than we are, but we don’t give up because we know that climate action is the only path.” — Antonio Guterres
59. “The growing evidence of climate change is forcing attention on carbon emissions and their reduction.” — Gordon Brown
60. “The squandering of oil and gas is associated with one of the greatest tragedies, not in the least resolved, which is suffered by humankind: climate change.” — Fidel Castro
Climate Change Quotes To Take Care of The Future
61. “Climate change is real. The science is compelling. And the longer we wait, the harder the problem will be to solve.” ― John F. Kerry
62. “We have to face the reality of climate change. It is arguably the biggest threat we are facing today.” ― William Hague
63. “I’m no longer sceptical. I no longer have any doubt at all. I think climate change is the major challenge facing the world.” ― David Attenborough
64. “Climate change is such a huge issue that it requires strong, concerted, consistent and enduring action by governments.” ― Peter Garrett
65. “For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.” ― Barack Obama
66. “Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change.” ― Rajendra K. Pachauri
67. “There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we take strong action now.” ― Nicholas Stern
68. “The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril.” ― Barack Obama
69. “The European nations take climate change very seriously.” ― Donella Meadows
70. “Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.” ― Bill Nye
You might also like these water quotes to inspire your day.
What can you do?
It can feel overwhelming to think you are just one person trying to make a difference for the entire planet.
However, the combined small actions of many people is exactly what this world needs.
If you’re feeling motivated after reading these climate change quotes, don’t let it be another thing you feel passionate about for a minute and then quickly forget.
Look for ways today that you can start to make a difference in our climate change.
Choose a quote or two to keep in front of yourself on a regular basis so you don’t lose that motivation.
Together we can make a difference.
What’s your biggest takeaway from these powerful climate change quotes?
Do you have any other inspirational quotes to add?
Let us know in the comment section below.
