From Climate Fatigue to Climate Action: Reflections from London Climate Week

Reflecting back on this past year, we might have expected a more subdued atmosphere at London Climate Action Week. After all, the signals weren’t promising. Regulatory momentum, particularly in the European Union has seen scaling back. Global political alliances appear tense and fractured. Movement against global warming seems to be slipping into fatigue.

But then London Climate Action Week happened. And it was bold. It was loud. It was busy.

Climate ambition, far from being dampened, is being redirected towards action that is grounded, practical, and deeply collaborative.

At IDH, we see first-hand how this momentum is being built. Not just by policymakers or NGOs, but by the financial sector, stepping more confidently into its role as a critical driver of the transition. Because the reality is, without finance, the transition simply won’t happen.

We’re at a tipping point. This London Climate Action Week, we’ve been discussing how data-driven, farmer-first investments can build climate-resilient supply chains.

It’s a conversation that sits at the heart of IDH's work. We’re committed to shaping and supporting partnerships that bring together government, business, civil society and knowledge institutions. A model we call the Dutch Diamond. But as we look ahead, we believe it’s time to expand that diamond into something bigger. Let’s add the financial sector and create a global star, where collaboration is not just a method, but a movement.

This year, our UK-based team stepped up as co-hosts and contributors to events throughout the week, and we were inspired by the energy across London. It’s clear: there is real ambition for the UK to be the centre of global green finance.

That’s not just a political statement. At IDH, in the UK and globally, we’re ready to play our part in that ambition: as connectors, collaborators, and catalysts. We’re building bridges between capital and impact, between supply chains and climate action, between local solutions and global scale.

London Climate Action Week reminded us that climate action doesn’t stall in hard times, it evolves. And right now, it’s evolving fast.