When CPA transitioned to a new website, we were unable to transfer all of our members' works to the new platform. However, we have published a selection of these works on our Zotero repository (zotero.org). Unfortunately, not all works could be uploaded. For a complete record of our writings, we warmly invite you to explore the document linked here (climatepsychologyalliance.org). While it may be somewhat messy, the document contains vaulable insights into climate psychology and the evolvement of our thoughts on the subject. 

We invite you to delve into our sixth issue of Explorations in Climate Psychology which is now available to download via this link!

Explorations is an online publication that aims to be inclusive of the different ways people are experiencing and engaging with one another on the climate and ecological crisis. It welcomes various forms of expression from analytical articles, reviews and features that promote peer-reviewed research to interviews, reflections, testimonies, poetry, art and lightly edited conversations. 

This latest edition casts a critical eye over what has passed for rationality in modern Western-type societies. By rationality, the editors mean a way of seeing, feeling, thinking and doing that feels self-evident: for, after all, how else could things be? To interrogate something that seems self-evidently true is a bit of a conundrum. Looking inside the cracks of reason is not easy and it poses the question whether one can understand Western thinking through Western thinking. Hence, the issue has asked for different perspectives and contributions to the theme from different traditions and different continents.

Follow this link to access all six editions of Explorations.

CPA recognises that the climate crisis is an intergenerational social justice issue. Not only will children and young people have to live with more acute impacts of climate breakdown than older generations, society often shifts responsibility for 'solving' the crisis onto young people, whilst simultaneously often dismissing their concerns.

Older climate-aware students and people training to become therapists, psychologists and counsellors also can encounter challenges if the courses they are on are not well-orientated to planetary emergencies. As with young people, older students/pre-qualified members might have worries that they 'don't know enough about climate psychology' to meaningfully participate in CPA, meaning we can lose lots of perspectives and experiences we would love to hear from.

Because of this CPA is keen to develop the voice of younger and pre-qualified members within the organisation. Young people (16-25) and older students who have an interest in climate psychology are able to join CPA at the concessionary rate of £9.60 per year. Visit this link (climatepsychologyalliance.org) to join our membership. 

In addition to gaining access to all the other benefits of membership (visit this link (climatepsychologyalliance.org) for more information), CPA has begun offering monthly meetings for young/pre-qualified members with a passion for climate psychology to network and share resources/learning. These spaces are very much in development, and we are keen to think with members about how the spaces could be most useful. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Dear Solicitor General, 

RE: Trudi Warner’s case: ‘A criminal prosecution is a disproportionate approach to this situation in a democratic society’ 

These are the words of Mr. Justice Saini in his judgement on the High Court hearing in which he refused the Solicitor General’s request for permission to bring proceedings for contempt of court against Trudi Warner and dismissed the claim. Her action has been widely reported on; she carried a placard outside a court where climate protestors were being tried bearing the handwritten words: “JURORS YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO ACQUIT A DEFENDANT ACCORDING TO YOUR CONSCIENCE”. These words are inscribed, for all to see, on a plaque in Old Bailey. The Solicitor General’s contention is that in doing so ‘Ms Warner (was) in contempt at common law through conduct which was a direct interference with the administration of justice, and undertaken with an intention to interfere with the administration of justice.’ Mr. Justice Saini judged that it was ‘fanciful’ to bring contempt charges against her and that doing so was based on a ‘mischaracterisation’ of the evidence of what Ms Warner did.[1]

In spite of this unequivocal judgement, the Solicitor General has decided to appeal against Mr. Justice Saini’s ruling. Trudi Warner is a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA).[2] This open letter is written on behalf of the UK membership of the CPA, to express our dismay and concern about the shameful decision to appeal against the High Court ruling. Prior to the High Court hearing, we wrote an open letter to the then Solicitor General in which we urged him not to proceed with seeking permission for a contempt of court prosecution. We outlined why we thought Trudi Warner’s action was appropriate and proportionate and we let him know that we would act in a similar way.[3] (In fact, many of us have joined with the hundreds of others who have sat silently outside courts holding a banner with the same wording as Trudi used.)

We are concerned for our colleague who, having lived for more than a year with the threat of a prison sentence or an unlimited fine hanging over her, is now once more faced with that prospect. However, Trudi’s greater concern, and ours too, is to do with the wider implications of the Solicitor General’s decision. Why is the Solicitor General, a government minister appointed by and acting on behalf of the government, in such relentless pursuit of Trudi Warner? Does the government want to make an example of her in the context of ever-increasing governmental suppression of protest, particularly in relation to the climate crisis? Is the government lowering the threshold for criminal prosecution in relation to environmental protest to a level not compatible with a democratic society? 

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michael Forst, earlier this year expressed his grave concern about what he saw as a ‘severe crackdown on environmental protest in Britain with “draconian” new laws, excessive restrictions on courtroom evidence and the use of civil injunctions which he said was having a chilling impact on fundamental freedoms.’[4]

Part of the context for Trudi’s action was the restriction being placed by sections of the judiciary on climate protest defendants by not allowing them to speak about the climate crisis as a motivating factor for their protest action. Jurors, denied this information, were expected to reach decisions on the basis of the bare facts of whether the action had occurred or not.

As the climate and ecological crises become ever more grave and in the face of grossly inadequate action by governments, the democratic right to protest is ever more needed. Juries are our safeguard against both authoritarian members of the judiciary and authoritarian governments acting in the service of vested interests.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Judith Anderson Chair of Board of Trustees

Climate Psychology Alliance (climatepsychologyalliance.org)