Reframing Climate Action: How Narratives Shape the Future We Create

Last week in Davos, alongside the World Economic Forum, Terra Dialogue, our sister non-profit organization, co-hosted a session at the Climate Hub Davos that went straight to the heart of a question we care deeply about:

Why do we know so much about climate change — and still struggle to act at scale?

World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos, Climate Hub, 2026

Renat Heuberger opened the evening with a powerful perspective grounded in psychology. Drawing on insights from the book The Carbon Paradox and the work of the psychologist Anna Freud, he explored how human defense mechanisms quietly block climate action.

For example:

• Denial and distancing allow us to acknowledge the problem — but safely “not now” and “not for me.”
• Rationalization helps us explain inaction away: my contribution is too small anyway, others should go first.

The takeaway was clear: climate inaction is not a lack of information — it’s a deeply human response to perceived threat. And if narratives trigger defense, they won’t mobilize action.

From there, the conversation shifted toward what does work: stories that restore agency, relevance, and show what’s possible.

We heard from entrepreneurs who are already embodying these new narratives through their businesses. For example:

• eAgronom showed how thousands of farmers across Europe are improving soil health and profitability — with carbon removal emerging as a co-benefit, not a burden.
• MPower demonstrated how replacing diesel generators with solar across Africa is first and foremost a compelling business case — while delivering massive social and climate impact.
• Dimarjan shared how reframing sustainability through finance, governance, and systems design can unlock action where traditional “climate language” often fails.

The format mirrored the message: open chairs on stage invited the audience into the discussion, turning observers into contributors and ideas into shared ownership.

The evening closed with a symbolic gesture. Every participant received a rock crystal from the Alps, along with an invitation:
👉 notice positive climate action wherever you see it, capture it, and help those stories travel.

And because hope should be lived — not just discussed — the night continued with a DJ, dancing, and yes, a drag queen dressed as a cow (check out the video link below at 1:32:15), making a joyful and provocative case for veganism.

For us at Terra, the message from Davos was simple and energizing:
The future won’t be shaped by technologies and policies alone, but by the stories that make people feel able — and willing — to act.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this conversation come alive. This is only the beginning.

Watch the full event recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGwr-TIg_cg