In times of too much climate doom and gloom, there is a weekly light in the dark that always cheers you up. It’s called Good Climate News of The Week, and is published by energy expert Assaad Razzouk. Starting now, this uplifting weekly list will also be published on We Don’t Have Time.
“It is imperative to focus on good climate news to show that climate action and climate justice are widespread - and have momentum – and that we should stay focused on doing whatever we can to make a difference; because we can”, says Assaad Razzouk.
If you spend some time on social media and are least interested in sustainable energy solutions, you have most likely come across Assaad Razzouk. This Lebanese-British energy entrepreneur is ranked as a Top Voice on LinkedIn, with more than 155,000 followers, and has an even bigger following on X (formerly Twitter). He is the co-founder of the renewable energy company Gurin Energy, and author of the book Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit. He runs the popular podcast The Angry Clean Energy Guy, and is frequently invited as a trustworthy energy expert to major international climate events. Most of We Don’t Have Time’s community probably also recognizes Assaad Razzouk as a frequent and popular speaker at our climate events. It is, therefore, our great pleasure to announce that Assaad Razzouk has now started publishing his weekly Good Climate News list also on We Don’t Have Time. 
Assaad Razzouk giving a speech during Dino Talks IV, the joint We Don’t Have Time and UNDP series about fossil fuel subsidies.
You have been publishing your weekly list for four years now. How did it all begin?
”In the introduction to my book Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit, What They Don’t Tell You About the Climate Crisis, I start with the following paragraph: ‘It was the blackened teeth and poisoned skin of coal miners in China’s coal capital, the city of Taiyuan, that gave me my first brush with sustainability. I had never seen anything like it before. The sight of those embarrassed smiles (instinctively covered with one hand) and awful complexions stopped me in my tracks and forced me to pause, think and question everything that I had until that point believed was important.’ This experience anchored my commitment to climate action, and this only strengthened with time because my work was, and still is, at the front line of climate change-fuelled destruction. This means I witness on a recurring basis the incredible vulnerability of Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, India and Pakistan to floods, droughts and / or other extreme weather events; the discernible warming trends in Asian cities; the plastic pandemic; the destruction of our oceans; the insect apocalypse going on in our midst; and the deforestation of the remaining rainforests in Indonesia.”
What has made you continue publishing this weekly list for such a long time?
”My work, combined with my podcast, my book and my public advocacy for climate action means that I interact frequently with many people who are very aware of the fact that we are in the midst of a global climate crisis which is multi-faceted and aspects of which are already irreversible. This also means that I’ve met a fair amount of people who suffer from climate anxiety, mostly because they are understandably overwhelmed by the deluge of bad news, and therefore feel powerless. In this context, it is imperative to focus on good climate news to show that climate action and climate justice are widespread - and have momentum – and that we should stay focused on doing whatever we can to make a difference; because we can.”
How do you find all these positive stories and examples?
”I continuously monitor multiple sources and track developments around the world because that is part and parcel of my climate advocacy work as well as my day job.”
Assaad Razzouk is the author of the book “Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit.
What kind of response are you getting?
”The response has been overwhelmingly positive because good climate news help keep up the motivation of the increasing number of people who understand that we are in the midst of a climate crisis and want to do something about it. I am particularly flattered by the increase in the number of oil & gas bots and trolls who attack what I publish because it shows climate action is having an increasing impact around the world – and the oil & gas industry knows we are at the beginning of the end of the oil age. Good climate news is everywhere around us but we don’t talk about it often enough, and certainly not as often as we talk – understandably – about all the negative climate change impacts happening everywhere at the same time.”
There is so much positive climate action happening out there – and often at an exponential pace – and yet many people still believe nothing is really happening. Why is this, and how can we change this perception to speed up change?
”We have to relentlessly continue to communicate good climate news. Negative stories vastly outnumber positive ones, and importantly they also vastly outnumber stories of what every individual on the planet can and should do to fight back against the climate crisis.”
In terms of climate action and climate news, what are you most looking forward to in 2024?
”Frankly, I worry about the surprises in terms of the acceleration of global climate impacts and can’t wait to see emissions peak, hopefully this year, then decline; renewables accelerate even faster; deforestation decrease faster; and the plastic pandemic tackled head on. Climate litigation is also a particular area which could surprise in 2024, especially if courts around the world publish more decisions which allow society to hold fossil fuel polluters to account.”
We are very much looking forward to having you publish your climate news on our platform. What are your hopes for sharing this list also on We Don't Have Time?
”I’ve accompanied We Don’t Have Time since its inception and have the greatest admiration for its mission, leveraging social media to hold leaders and companies to account on climate, as well as its effectiveness in gathering millions around its broadcasts and events. It is therefore natural to publish the “good climate news” on We Don’t Have Time: its platform will broadcast even louder my message that powerful climate action is widespread – and has momentum.”
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10 w
Brilliant that Assaad is working even closer with We Dont Have Time! Made my day!
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Pleasure to see this man working tirelessly as he educate many people.
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Thank you for your tireless and incredibly inspiring work, Assaad! You are such an inspiration to many! 💚
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11 w
We've payed attention to every detail that has been highlighted by this great man.Good job Sir.
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11 w
Welcome onboard
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Here we are open to all positivity with regards to the climate discussion
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Welcome to We Don't Have Time, it's great to have you here spreading positive news around!
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Super interesting. Positive news is key to make change happen. Looking forward to this weekly read on We Don’t Have Time
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@Christina_Carlmark True it is interesting
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Very cool to hear from someone who has been working with climate issues for so long, and I fully agree that good stories can help bring motivation and also act as a nuance to the urgency and negative effects we see, which can make the gravity of the climate crisis even more obvious!
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Welcome on We Don't Have Time Assaad!
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The attacks are meant as distractions from our end goal which is a cleaner and healthier planet. Let them deter you, not.