Restoring Human Progress: Winning citizens’ support for actions on climate and nature
5 February 2026 – As citizens across G7 countries are losing belief in the future, leaders face increasing difficulty in taking bold action on climate change and nature loss. A new report, produced by CISL and Zero Ideas, explores how to rebuild public support by restoring human progress as a motivating vision, one that resonates with citizens, provides a stronger foundation for climate and nature action and helps align the interests of political, business and financial leaders.
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Citizens overwhelmingly care about climate change and nature loss, yet often fail to support the policies and actions needed to prevent it. Responsibility is widely seen as lying with government and business, but these actors lack the public licence to act boldly and for the long term, leaving climate action incremental and vulnerable to backlash as lobbying and media interests reinforce the status quo.
Despite optimism about the future in many parts of the world, most people in G7 countries believe the world will be worse for their children and are, paradoxically, less open to change, making it harder to build support for any transformation.
Public support therefore requires more than elevating climate and nature as priorities; it demands a compelling, future-focused vision that government, business, finance and citizens can activate together, one that restores human progress as a shared aspiration: a pivot from burden to desire; from obligation to aspiration.
Since optimism and openness are also essential for risk-taking, innovation and investment, this is a pivot that aligns the interests of societal, political and economic actors.
This report sets out three principles for winning citizens’ support for climate and nature action through restoring human progress:
- Deliver meaningful gains – Involve citizens in shaping the future of sectors they care, solving climate and nature within the broader mix of issues that affect people’s everyday priorities and societal self-interest.
- Play to national strengths – Choose where each country can thrive, lead and win by building on its unique natural, economic and industrial strengths and ambitions.
- Believe in better – Recognise and celebrate achievements, strengthen a sense of belonging and help people to feel part of something bigger, embracing the journey towards a better future.
Restoring human progress as a believable and achievable goal can unlock citizens’ support for policies and actions on climate change and nature loss, and for our prosperity more broadly. The insights in this report point to a new, ambitious, and ultimately rewarding leadership agenda. Government, business, finance and citizens share a common interest in restoring human progress. The opportunity now is to bring these different actors together and turn that interest into collective action for our shared future.
Citing this report
University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2026). Restoring Human Progress: Winning citizens’ support for actions on climate and nature. Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.