Editorial: Battle lines drawn
OPINION: Climate change is shaping up to be one of the major issues at next year's general election.
From "Save Our Sheep" to doom-laden messages around methane targets and global agreements like the Paris Accord, these narratives often share a common thread - high emotion, a single villain, and one extreme solution: get out or go under.
But these aren't solution-focused conversations; they're no-hope narratives. Constantly anchoring to despair drains resilience, damages mental wellbeing, and risks signficant economic harm.
Exiting the Paris Accord would create significant economic risk for New Zealand. With over 80% of our exports going to countries that require mandatory climate reporting - most of them signatories to the Paris Accord - we jeopardise crucial market access and preferential treatment (Chapman Tripp, April 2024). While we might retain some customers, we would likely become fallback suppliers, paid far less for our products. Considering our food and fibre exports alone are forecast to reach $56.9 billion by June 2025 (MPI SOPI, June 2025), risking these revenues is economically reckless.
We've already felt the impact of uncontrollable events; extreme weather wiped out $1.2 billion in export earnings in 2023 (MBIE, November 2023). Given these existing challenges, why would we deliberately endanger future revenue?
We all want thriving rural communities, robust businesses, and options for future generations. Choosing a path that sabotages these economic channels isn't reclaiming control - it undermines the prosperity and security of the very communities we aim to protect.
Even the Prime Minister has been clear: New Zealand's climate commitments must support - not sabotage - trade access. In today's volatile world, credibility, alignment, and stability matter more than ever.
It's not just the economy taking a hit - it's people. Constantly hearing we're in a crisis takes a toll on us as humans. There's a reason behind how we respond subconsciously: it's about protecting our basic needs. We all need to feel valued (status), have some idea of what's ahead (certainty), make our own decisions (autonomy), feel connected (relatedness), and be treated fairly (fairness). When these get shaken up, we naturally pull back, lose motivation, and disengage - often without even realising it. It's not about weakness; it's just how we're wired.
There's a sense that decisions are being imposed on them rather than made collaboratively. Rural communities also often feel isolated from urban conversations, reinforcing feelings of disconnection. Finally, there's a growing perception that farmers are unfairly targeted, adding to the sense of injustice. When these fundamental needs are threatened, people disengage and shut down. The very people we need to lean into solutions - innovators, practical thinkers, and risk-takers - are left feeling exhausted and disheartened.
You've likely felt one or more of these pressures, that's not weakness, it's just being human. Feeding despair keeps us stuck in survival mode instead of enabling clear-headed thinking, calm decision-making and clicking into growth mode.
The world is shifting fast, its often scary, frustrating, and messy. Yet, fueling no-hope narratives wastes energy and pushes solutions away. Sometimes, we're so worn down we chase progress off the property before it even gets a chance to walk through the gate.
How we think shapes how we feel. Crisis mode breeds frustration, fear, and fatigue. Choosing curiosity over hasty reaction creates space to act differently moving from outrage to understanding, from hopelessness to possibility. It's not about suppressing emotion but changing the story that fuels it.
A Simple Ask - before cranking up outrage, turn up curiosity. Pause to ask why something is happening instead of reacting immediately.
Understanding might not always change outcomes but it absolutely changes how we show up: in conversations, in decisions, and in leadership.
Julia Jones is general manager of Agri-Women's Development Trust.
