Understanding How Climate Scientists as Public Intellectuals Navigate False Hope in UK Climate Discourse
This project explores how UK climate scientists, engineers, and other technically trained academics understand, identify and challenge forms of climate hope that they regard as misleading, unrealistic or politically problematic.
The project is generously supported by the RGS-IBG Small Research Grant Scheme.
About the Project
Climate change debates are often framed through the language of hope. Governments, businesses and campaigners regularly promote hopeful visions of climate futures, while scientists and other experts are frequently expected to communicate solutions and reasons for optimism.
This project, however, examines how UK climate scientists, engineers, and other technically trained academics understand, identify and challenge forms of climate hope that they regard as misleading, unrealistic or politically problematic in their engagement as public intellectuals. It focuses on those who work on climate technologies and future scenarios, with particular areas of interest including sustainable aviation and carbon removals. The project explores how technical experts distinguish between realistic and unrealistic visions of climate futures and how they navigate the challenges of making these arguments publicly.
Ultimately, this work seeks to advance conceptual understandings of false hope within Human Geography and to critically examine the potentially negative role of hope in shaping climate futures.
Interested in Taking Part?
I am seeking UK-based climate scientists, engineers, and other technically trained academics who publicly engage with debates about climate change, sustainable aviation, carbon removals, climate technologies, future scenarios, or related topics.
To take part in this study, you must:
- Be aged 18 years or over.
- Be based in the United Kingdom.
- Be an academic researcher with relevant scientific, technical, or engineering expertise.
- Have expertise relating to climate change, sustainable aviation, carbon removals, or closely related areas.
- Have experience of professional or public engagement on these topics, for example through media engagement, policy advice, public communication, advocacy, expert commentary, or participation in public debates.
- Be able to provide informed consent to participate in the research.
Participation is sought in a professional capacity, drawing on participants' academic expertise and experience of public engagement with climate-related issues.
Participation involves a single online interview lasting approximately 30 to 60 minutes.
Contact:
Dr Joe Blakey
Department of Geography, The University of Manchester
University profile and contact details
Previous Research on Climate Hope
Blakey, J. & Hudson, M. (2026)
A Caution on Climate Hope
Environmental Politics
Abstract
In this paper, we caution against the tendency in climate discourse to equate hope with progress. While hope is often framed as essential for motivating change, its uncritical celebration can undermine climate action by sustaining the status quo and depoliticising transformative measures. We call for, first, attention to false hope, a charge some level at techno-solutionist narratives and incremental policy that fail to confront the scale of the crisis; second, an exploration of pessimism and hopelessness’ potential in rejecting false hopes and opening space for radical responses, and third, an overall ambivalent and contingent position on the equation of emotions with climate progress. Abandoning the assumption that hope is a strategic necessity enables a climate scholarship and politics that is cautious of techno-utopian deferral, attuned to how false hope and optimism may be deployed strategically, and receptive to the full range of emotions and affects that can shape action.
Harvard reference
Blakey, J. and Hudson, M. (2026) ‘A Caution on Climate Hope’, Environmental Politics. doi: 10.1080/09644016.2026.2721047.