When it comes to climate change and pollution, we’re all hypocrites. There’s no inconsistency here, and that’s the point of the protests as I understand them. This is so bound up to our whole way of life that radical change is needed. As individuals we can only do so much, corporations and governments have to make the changes for the wellbeing of the planet.

Every one of us depends on systems that damage the environment, transport, food, technology, energy, even healthcare. It’s impossible to live in the modern world without leaving a carbon footprint, and yet we’re rightly alarmed by the damage being done. The hypocrisy isn’t moral failure; it’s a symptom of being trapped within a system that’s built on unsustainable foundations. Protesters aren’t pretending to be pure; they’re acknowledging the truth that we’re all implicated, but still calling for something better. They remind us that caring about the planet doesn’t require perfection; it requires persistence, honesty, and courage.

Recycling, eating less meat, or driving electric cars are valuable acts, but they’re not enough to counteract industries that pour billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year. Systemic change demands bold political leadership and corporate accountability. Governments must legislate for cleaner energy, fairer trade, and sustainable agriculture. Corporations must stop externalising costs to the environment and start treating the planet as a partner, not a resource to exploit.

Humanity is capable of extraordinary cooperation when the stakes are high, and they couldn’t be higher than this. If we can face our shared hypocrisy with humility and hope, perhaps that’s where true change begins.