What it is
Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, the architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement, present two possible futures: the world we are creating if we continue on our current path, and the world we can still create if we act decisively. Published in 2020, it combines personal narrative from the Paris negotiations with a practical framework for individual and collective action.
Why we picked this
These are the people who made the Paris Agreement happen against all odds. Their perspective on what is still possible carries unique authority. The book is deliberately hopeful without being naive, grounded in their experience of bringing 195 nations to consensus.
Key takeaways
- The Paris Agreement, which Figueres and Rivett-Carnac negotiated, commits 195 nations to limiting warming to well below 2C, with efforts toward 1.5C, making it the most significant climate accord in history.
- The authors identify ten actions individuals can take, framed not as sacrifices but as choices that improve quality of life while reducing emissions.
- Their key insight: stubborn optimism, the belief that action is possible even when evidence is daunting, is not naive. It is a strategic choice that enables the persistence required for systemic change.