Something’s missing.

Decades after understanding the threat of the climate crisis, we’re still not responding in a way that truly matches the scale of the challenge. It’s not a lack of creativity, ingenuity or intelligence.

And with 89%* of people worldwide wanting stronger action, it’s not apathy either. So what’s stopping us?

The climate crisis can provoke overwhelming emotions...

...fear, anger, grief - and sometimes numbness or shutting down. If we’re not equipped to process these emotions, we will struggle to take the action needed.

Movements of profound change have often arisen from communities and individuals who do 'inner work'

Without it, we recreate the same harmful patterns under new guises, as things slowly but surely get worse. 

Through inner work and community with others who care, we learn to integrate emotional tools into responses to the planetary crisis and to change the ways we are living - to work towards a sustainable, just and joyful future together.

What we need now is a movement of profound change that starts within.

Welcome to the
image of an educational workshop in progress outdoors

We are a new partnership made up of the Mindfulness Initiative (MI), the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) and Climate Majority Project (CMP). We are bringing together the first UK-wide community of practice for people holding the inner dimension of our climate and global crisis. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are deeply grateful to have received almost £1.5m for this new project to support communities with the emotional impact of the climate crisis over the next five years.

This comes from the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change and involve more people in climate action.

Why inner climate response?

Because inner work strengthens our emotional resilience, so that we can face difficult truths without shutting down. Being able to process the truth gives us the capacity to transform anxiety, grief or despair into courage, connection and meaningful action.

It doesn’t happen in isolation. When we process emotions and take action together, something powerful unfolds: a sense of belonging, the possibility of hope, the reconnection to joy.

This combination of processing the truth and taking meaningful action as part of a community creates lasting change within ourselves and in the world we’re striving to protect. That’s why inner work and communities of care are not side notes to climate action: they are its foundations.

What will

do?

There are countless individuals, communities and organisations already practising inner work around the climate crisis, whether through mindfulness, spiritually, faith or other individual, group and community practices.

There are also many already engaged in climate action and adaptation who are discovering their efforts would be greatly supported by collective inner work, and that they could benefit from connection with others who have faced similar challenges.

ICRA will support relationships between such people and communities, developing a network where we can learn from each other and extend the nourishing practices of inner work to those who may not yet have access to it.

Open to all affected by the climate crisis, this community of practice will especially support marginalised communities and those feeling the heaviest impacts of climate change, offering a space for learning, connection, and sharing best practices.

Our vision? By 2030, we hope to be a vibrant, creative network of individuals and communities deeply committed to inner work, environmental action and community cohesion. 

“The launch of ICRA marks a landmark moment in climate campaigning, championing and making more visible an increasing focus on “inner work” – a recognition that finding ways to process our feelings and overcome emotional overwhelm are critical to effective climate action. The Alliance’s vision of a vibrant, creative network of resilient individuals and communities committed to collective climate engagement is both exciting and essential”. 

Caroline Lucas, Advisor to the Climate Majority Project’s Climate Courage and Safer campaigns.

What's next?

We’re working towards full project launch in autumn 2025. Between now and then, we’re reaching out to friends and partners to help spread the word - and grow this network from the ground up. This will be a movement of profound change, rooted in care.

How to get involved

We warmly invite you to get involved. Whether you’re just curious about the role inner work and community cohesion plays in our climate response, or whether you’ve been walking this path for years - whether you’re coming as an individual, a group, or an organisation - there’s a place for you here.

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Find support

If you’re seeking support for how you’re feeling about the climate crisis, you might find this resource list helpful.
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* ‘Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action’ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-01925-3‍