I recently heard an interview with Chris Packham, a British environmental activist and broadcaster who is perhaps best known for presenting TV shows such as Spring Watch. He made an important point: instead of talking about ‘climate change’ we should really be talking about ’climate breakdown’ because that’s what the planet is facing.

‘Climate change’ makes the issue sound benign, like something we can live with; something that will take time to have an impact, and could even have a positive impact in some parts of the world. The truth is rather different. In around 150 years (less than the blink of an eye in terms of the earth’s climate history) global land surface temperatures have increased by over 1.5º centigrade and, according to the latest figures, they’re continuing to rise.

The impact of this increase is already being felt in terms of heatwaves, droughts, fires, floods and storms. Just last week (early December 2025) hundreds of people died in devastating floods in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and this sort of event is happening more and more often.

Under a “moderate-action” scenario (which means maintaining current policies with some mitigation) global warming is predicted to reach about 2 °C by the middle of the century and approach 2.5 -3 °C by 2100.

The difference between 1.5 °C and 2°C (or even higher) is not just a number: it has serious consequences. Under higher warming scenarios there is not only a much greater risk of extreme weather; we could also be facing water stress, food insecurity, sea-level rise and even greater biodiversity loss. Given that we have already wiped out over 70% of our planet’s wildlife, this ought to be a huge cause for concern.

So what can we do to help, both as individuals and as leaders in the global language teaching industry? We all know some of the answers:

·         Cut back on energy consumption (especially fossil fuels).

·         Support the transition to renewable electricity generation.

·         Use public transport, walk or cycle, whenever possible.

·         Shift to a more plant-based diet and reduce food waste.

·         Support initiatives to protect and restore nature (forests, wetlands, oceans …)

·         Discuss these issues more frequently in our classes with our students.

Perhaps we should also start talking about ‘climate breakdown’ instead of ‘climate change’.