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<a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/dont-look-up-netflix-weekly-viewing-records-1235147910/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Breaking Netflix records</a>, Adam McKay’s latest film, Don’t Look Up, depicts scientists’ warning of an imminent meteor strike on Earth, presenting an extinction-level threat. Within its first 28 days of release, Don’t Look Up had racked up an incredible 350 million hours of viewing time &#8211; the second-most of any film on Netflix so far.
As many commentators have pointed out, the core message of Don’t Look Up isn’t actually about a meteor strike, <a href="https://dontlookup.count-us-in.com/story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it’s about climate change</a>. 
So, we chatted to members of the Ecologi team to hear their thoughts about the movie.

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Working in the climate space, many members of the Ecologi team watched Don’t Look Up with some trepidation; would our own personal experiences of struggling to communicate the seriousness of climate change be reflected in the film? The answer, it turned out, was an emphatic ‘yes’.
Don’t Look Up is a parody of reality, but it definitely wasn’t the laugh-a-minute experience one often expects of a parody &#8211; at least not for the Ecologi team. Alex, one of our Senior Developers, remarked right away that he found it “a hard watch”, and Paula, our Senior Finance Manager, said that parts of the film made her feel “uncomfortable and anxious because it shone a light on the reality that is climate denial”.
Matt, one of our Product Managers, summed up how impactful the film was, saying he found himself “going from seeing clearly the synonymity with the climate emergency, then getting immersed in the film, then bang, back to seeing clearly again. The power was in having this realisation over and over during the film. It was like a rollercoaster ride.” 
Sam, our Climate Impact Manager, noted that “not all ‘climate denial’ is as clear-cut as abject denial of human-caused climate change. Often, responses to our concerns about warming are heard and understood &#8211; even by family members or friends &#8211; but then, nothing happens. Their perceptions and behaviour don’t really change. For me, that can be a form of denial too.”
The stark contrast between the response of people working in the climate sector and people who are less involved in climate work was made clear in <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emmastewart_dont-look-up-science-themed-movie-review-ugcPost-6890455727878524928-p91l/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of Netflix’s promotional posters</a> for the film. While one representative from the American Film Institute described the film as “a screamingly funny action film”, climate scientist <a href="https://rhstar.org/nominee/peter-kalmus-phd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Kalmus</a> echoed our team’s responses, describing the film as “the most accurate film about society’s terrifying non-response to climate breakdown I’ve seen”.

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Don’t Look Up satirises power and politics through a populist US President character, portrayed by Meryl Streep, a Bezos-Zuckerberg-Musk-esque tech billionaire character (Mark Rylance), and two overly-manufactured media personalities on a daily talk show, The Daily Rip (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry). Whilst there are certainly no prizes for guessing who Meryl Streep’s character is based on &#8211; with her three-word catchphrases and nepotistic White House hiring practices &#8211; there is more nuanced commentary than simply political caricaturisation taking place.
Sam, our Climate Impact Manager, said “One of the great challenges in climate action, and one of the key drivers of the ‘knowledge-action gap’ &#8211; which we see when our politicians understand climate change but do nothing substantial about it &#8211; is political short-termism. When political time horizons extend only as far as the next election cycle, candidates resort to cheap slogans and insubstantial policies which don’t even try to address more long term issues, like climate and ecological breakdown.” 
Regarding the media, <a href="https://twitter.com/ayanaeliza/status/1475257735184891909?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the climate community has felt seen</a> by the cringeworthy interactions between Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence (the concerned scientists) and their contemporaries in power and in the media.
Sam continued, “The dynamic on the talk show satirises a very real trend in coverage of climate change, which is that for over 40 years the media has spectacularly failed to deliver key messages on climate in the service of either ‘balance’ (where climate deniers are given equal priority to climate experts) or ‘entertainment’ (where the gravity of climate change is trivialised or diminished).”

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The verdict from our team was that Don’t Look Up does well to capture typical human responses to learning of imminent existential threats, such as reacting with disbelief, humour or avoidance. We’ve all seen these emotions and reactions in friends and family members, not to mention politicians and people with the power to change our trajectory &#8211; and have even gone through many of these stages ourselves. 
As we try to help others understand the threats posed by climate change in the hope of bringing about change, responses such as “don’t be so dramatic” or “it can’t possibly be that bad” are all too familiar. Accusations of hysteria are also all too common, especially targeted towards prominent young female activists such as <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/women/greta-thunberg-climate-change-crisis-strike-austism-misogyny-protest-speech-a9127971.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greta Thunberg</a>. This was perfectly portrayed in the film when even high-level scientists and experts responded to news of an imminent extinction-level event by saying “let’s not be dramatic here” and “let’s all calm down”! 
Abi, our Marketing Manager, said that, “The main point that really struck me throughout the film was disbelief. We know that there is a climate crisis, the science is there, but it comes down to humanity’s ability to emotionally comprehend the effects on their own lives that is really the deeper issue.” Despite the <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@science/2021/10/21/1383952/the-scientific-consensus-on-climate-change-gets-even-stronger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear and overwhelming evidence and scientific consensus about climate change and our role in causing it</a>, the frustration that the scientists &#8211; DiCaprio and Lawrence &#8211; felt is something lots of us can relate to. Matt, one of our Product Managers, pointed out just “how ridiculous the responses and reactions were to the situation”, and that, because of this, the film makes it “hard not to stop and think”.
Even when protestors in Don’t Look Up can physically see the threat heading towards them, they still choose not to believe it &#8211; because, naturally, it scares them. As it does everybody. 
“By ignoring the science, we’re avoiding the inevitable, but by stopping ourselves from exploring these feelings of mortality, we’re actually just joining the ranks of ‘Don’t Look Up’ protestors, avoiding facing what’s really in front of us, which in turn means we’re avoiding being part of the solution to reverse climate change.”
Abi, Ecologi
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Using analogies to talk about climate change

The scenario in Don’t Look Up isn’t a perfect analogy for climate change. For starters, the threat of the comet strike is fundamentally different to that of climate change, and it’s important to understand this in order to draw useful learnings from the film.
In some ways, climate scientists and activists might wish that the threat of climate change could be observed as visually and immediately as a comet flying towards the Earth! The threat of the comet is clearly defined, and characters in the film can literally see it heading towards them (hence the title, Don’t Look Up). The impacts of climate change are much harder to distill into an image as compelling as an incoming comet &#8211; making it harder to encourage people to act immediately to avoid further loss and damage.
In the film, the scientists first observe the comet and its path to strike Earth with around 6 months’ notice before impact. In contrast, we’ve known about climate change and the role of humans in causing it <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/how-19th-century-scientists-predicted-global-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since the 1800s</a>, and only very recently have global leaders begun to take the threat seriously. Moreover, part of the problem we face with climate change is the idea that impacts are somewhere indeterminate in the future &#8211; and so the analogy of a comet striking the Earth isn’t perfect here.
The film also portrays political actors delaying action on the comet when it is discovered that there are apparent economic gains to be made by doing so. This satirises certain misguided arguments against climate mitigation, since combating climate change will in reality bring far <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/F_Green_Nationally_Self_Interested_Climate_Change_Mitigation.pdf">more benefits, including sustainable and long-term economic growth</a>, than an unwillingness to adapt. This dichotomy of pitting economic growth against solving the existential issue is a useful tool in the film, but in mapping it across to the reality of climate change it is imperfect, since the opportunity to develop a <a href="https://www.unep.org/regions/asia-and-pacific/regional-initiatives/supporting-resource-efficiency/green-economy">green economy</a>, still bringing some economic growth but prioritising planetary and human health over economic gain, genuinely presents countless new jobs and opportunities, and mitigates further climate risks.

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What is clear is that Don’t Look Up has opened many people’s eyes to the reality of climate inaction. Its viewership tells us that!
The film draws attention to the importance of not ignoring things that scare us, and by doing so has helped to start conversations about climate change that may not otherwise have taken place. 
“I have had conversations with friends and family about climate change for the first time because they watched ‘Don’t Look Up’. That has been the biggest win for me from the movie, it has encouraged discussion among people who are at various stages of their journey in taking climate action.”
Paula, Ecologi
By talking about climate change, and finding new ways of communicating about it, we begin a journey from thoughts to action, helping those struggling to come to terms with climate change to take meaningful action. And for those already working hard to do their part in the fight against climate change, the film strengthened their resolve to continue that work. Alex, one of our Senior Developers, said the film had made him “more determined to push harder on everything that is possible for me to do personally to help with the climate crisis”.
We need to bring along as many people as we can in our mission to combat climate change, and a simple conversation sparked by a film such as Don’t Look Up can lead to a lifetime of climate action. To that end, however imperfect the analogy is, and however challenging the content is, media like this is crucial in our drive to restore the planet.
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Hopescrolling: The Good News timeline

It’s not all bad. While there’s a lot of negative news about the climate, let’s not forget the good stuff. Find climate wins, reasons to be hopeful and plenty of positivity in our good news timeline.

The good news timeline

Ready to make a difference for our planet? Get in touch, and let’s chat about how we can help you on your climate journey. 

Impact Reports

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Ecologi Impact Report 2024

Each year, we publish our Impact Report to share the tangible difference our community has helped create. Our 2024 report not only highlights the progress of the projects the Ecologi community has supported over the past twelve months, it also includes, for the first time, our own greenhouse gas inventory and emissions management plan.
You can read the full report below, or stay with us here for a quick snapshot of the most impactful numbers and milestones from last year.

<h3>Read the full 2024 Impact Report</h3>
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<h2>87 million trees funded to date</h2>
In 2024, the Ecologi community funded 9.97 million trees through reforestation projects across 13 countries and 5 continents, bringing our all-time total to over 87 million trees.
We worked with 10 dedicated partners – including two recognised as UN World Restoration Flagships, Acción Andina and Trees for the Future &#8211; to restore degraded and threatened forests. These projects not only support climate resilience and biodiversity, but also positively contribute to over 47,800 livelihoods around the world.

<h2>19,500 m2 wildflower, wetlands and wildlife habitat funded for restoration in 2024</h2>
From the peatlands of the Isle of Skye to the slopes of Dumyat, our dedicated <a href="https://ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-wildflowers-wetlands-and-wildlife" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wildflower, Wetlands and Wildlife</a> restoration project supported community-led efforts to revive native ecosystems and protect biodiversity. 
At the Uigshader Living Forest Project, once a commercial timber site, native trees planted with Ecologi funding are thriving with signs of natural regeneration and native species, such as the eared willow (Salix aurita) returning. 
Meanwhile, at Dumyat, the reintroduction of wildflowers and targeted restoration work has already made a visible impact. Rare species are returning, including the Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes) which was spotted close to the site after a century-long absence, and the Sticky Catchfly (Viscaria vulgaris), one of the UK’s rarest plants, now flourishing thanks to restoration efforts.
This work wouldn’t be possible without our project partner, the Future Forest Company, and the continued support of our community. Together, we can restore habitats, protect vulnerable species, and drive forward nature-based solutions that are critical in our fight against climate change.

<h2>548,200 tCO2e emissions avoidance funded in 2024</h2>
Last year, the Ecologi community prevented over 560,000 tonnes of carbon emissions through a diverse portfolio of high-impact projects.
This includes more than 179,000 tonnes through landfill gas capture initiatives &#8211; some of the first globally to receive the new CCP-Approved label from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
Ecologi also funded over 330,000 tonnes of emissions avoidance through nature-based forest protection projects across Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia, helping safeguard tropical peatlands and biodiversity hotspots while preserving vital carbon stores. An additional 53,000 tonnes of emissions were avoided through community-based initiatives, including fuel-efficient cookstove projects in Uganda and Kenya. These efforts reduce deforestation and pollution and deliver meaningful health and social outcomes.

<h2>21,200 tCO2 carbon dioxide removal funded in 2024</h2>
Carbon removal remains one of the most emerging areas in the voluntary carbon market, with innovative technologies still scaling and costs remaining high. Despite these challenges, the Ecologi community funded over 21,000 tonnes of carbon removal in 2024, helping to accelerate progress in this vital area of climate action.
One such initiative is Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a nature-based solution developed by our partner UNDO. This process involves spreading finely crushed silicate rock, such as basalt, onto agricultural land, where it reacts with CO₂ in the atmosphere and locks it away for centuries.
Since launching ERW projects in July 2024, our community has funded 105 tonnes of carbon removal through this method. With the potential to remove billions of tonnes of CO₂ annually, Enhanced Rock Weathering represents an exciting step forward in the race to scale durable, science-backed carbon removal.

<h2>Our Greenhouse Gas Inventory </h2>
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, we’ve completed our greenhouse gas inventory for the past two years. In 2023, our total emissions were 1,993.37 tCO₂e, and 1,584.65 tCO₂e in 2024 
Whilst not common practice in our industry, we’ve chosen to include the emissions from our impact projects &#8211; both those that generate carbon credits, and those that don&#8217;t into our Scope 3 reporting, despite the challenges in quantifying them accurately. These projects play a central role in our business, and we believe in taking responsibility to try our best to estimate these emissions, rather than omitting them entirely. By using a spend-based methodology, we are taking a transparent step towards capturing the full impact of our operations, even if the current approach has its limitations, particularly around the use of financial proxies. 
Within our reporting, this remains our biggest area of uncertainty and will be a key area of focus moving forwards, with a primary objective to transition to the activity-based methodology whereby primary data can be applied. 
This inventory forms the foundation of our emissions management plan, helping us track progress and identify areas for continued reduction across our operations. To learn more about our approach to preparing our inventory and how we plan to focus on the betterment of data collection in the future, to reduce our reliance on assumptions and proxies, click the link below.

<h2>Read more stats and stories in our full Impact Report</h2>
This blog offers just a snapshot of what we’ve accomplished over the past 12 months. To explore the full picture, including detailed insights, impact data, and stories from the projects we’ve supported, dive into the full Impact Report which you can view <a href="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20250422095731/Ecologi_Impact_Report_2024_-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

<h2>Ready to take the lead in climate action?</h2>
Fill in the form below to book a 30 minute discovery call with our climate experts and find out more about working with Ecologi to measure your emissions, set reduction goals and fund high-quality climate action.

Schedule a 30-minute discovery call

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Ecologi acquires Net Zero Now

In a landmark move set to reshape corporate climate action, we’re excited to announce that Ecologi, the UK&#8217;s most trusted climate action platform, has acquired <a href="https://netzeronow.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Zero Now</a>, the sector-specific carbon measurement and reduction platform for businesses.
The combined entity operating under the Ecologi brand will create a single solution for industry climate leadership towards net zero. The integration combines sector-specific carbon measurement and reduction with world class verified climate projects that supports businesses wherever they are on their net zero journey.

<h2>The game-changing impact of this acquisition</h2>
The strategic acquisition solves two fundamental challenges in corporate climate action: businesses have been forced to choose between fragmented solutions and generic ‘one size fits all’ approaches that ignore crucial sector-specific needs. By combining Net Zero Now&#8217;s sector-specific protocol expertise with Ecologi&#8217;s platform funding top-tier climate projects, we&#8217;re creating a tailored and complete solution helping businesses lead their industries towards net zero.

Reduce emissions.
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Measure Scope 1, 2 &amp; 3 emissions with sector-specific industry GHG protocols</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Set short term and long term reduction target emissions aligned to SBTi</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tailored reduction plans for sector-specific emissions pathways</li>
</ul>
Restore our planet.
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Compensate for unavoidable emissions as you reduce them through 
funding verified, high-quality carbon avoidance and removal credits</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Contribute to global climate goals by funding climate Impact Funds for 
beyond value chain mitigation and/or as part of your products &amp; services</li>
</ul>
Report on progress.
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Corporate sustainability standards e.g. CSRD, SECR, SBTi, CDP, B Corp</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sector specific standards e.g. Accountancy, Hospitality, Public Sector</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Custom climate impact reports and embeddable dashboards</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Communications toolkit for board and stakeholder engagement</li>
</ul>

Climate leadership starts here

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Neil Ross Russell, Managing Director of Net Zero Now, said:
<blockquote>Businesses want to take climate action, but they want to know they’re doing it right and what’s right for a restaurant business is not the same as what’s right for an accounting firm.  They need industry-specific guidance and clear pathways to climate leadership. By joining forces with Ecologi, we&#8217;re creating a platform that allows us to provide credible, simple and affordable, sector-specific, end-to-end climate solutions for businesses in our existing sectors and collaborate with industry partners on new sector-led solutions.</blockquote>

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The acquisition aligns with Ecologi&#8217;s mission to accelerate business climate action and grow our 24,000 strong customer base. Established sector protocols including hospitality and professional services will be the initial focus with plans to expand across additional industries throughout 2025.
With organisations under increasingly complex stakeholder and industry compliance demands for environmental accountability, this end-to-end solution also ensures streamlined reporting, monitoring progress, supply chain transparency, and voluntary disclosures. This transforms business leaders into climate leaders with the confidence to tackle their climate commitments head-on, communicating and meeting critical regulatory requirements like SECR, CSRD and SBTi.

<h2>More about Net Zero Now</h2>
Founded in 2021, Net Zero Now has developed a proprietary sector-led approach, which combines climate expertise alongside the sector knowledge and experience of relevant industry bodies, industry influencers and larger businesses to reach a consensus around what Net Zero means in practice for businesses in each sector. To date, the company has measured and validated 1.8 MtCO2e lifetime emissions supporting more than 50+ leading brands including Coca Cola Europacific Partners, L&#8217;Orèal, Heineken, Pernod Ricard, Subway, Hard Rock Cafe, Adnams, Edgbaston and James Cowper Kreston.

‘Don’t Look Up’ : Our take on the movie

Hitting close to home

Power and popularity

Human reactions to the crisis

Using analogies to talk about climate change

Starting conversations

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Hopescrolling: The Good News timeline

Impact Report 2024: A year of impact for our planet

Ecologi acquires Net Zero Now

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