Introduction

The crisis of climate change demands action and responsibility not just from organizations, nations, and corporations, but also from individuals and communities. In such a landscape, knowledge becomes a source of power allowing us engage with the leading thoughts and developments and to be well informed regarding the latest updates on climate science and politics. Books become the most accessible portal for us to expand our knowledge, reflect deeply upon the problems, and contemplate solutions as we head towards the 2030 Net-Zero deadline set by COP’21 Paris Agreement of 2015. They can be a great tool to converse and participate with different strands of thoughts, ideas, and movement that are emerging from the contemporary climate crisis.

Here’s a list of the few books to get you started on the quest to understand climate change better (in no particular order)

How To Avoid A Climate Disaster
By Bill Gates

A post-COVID reflection on the magnitude and urgency of the climate crisis, Bill Gates’ take on climate change, its assessments, and the scope of its solutions introduces all the major dialogues in the global conversation on climate change.

A Life On Our Planet
By David Attenborough  

The namesake of the Netflix documentary, Life on Our Planet captures the history of changes in the planet’s wild places and biodiversity through the eyes of a natural historian and a famous broadcaster. David Attenborough makes the complexities of the problems accessible in the layman terms and presents a hopeful vision for the future.

Backstage Climate: The Science and Politics Behind Climate Change
By Rajan Mehta

Backstage Climate unpacks discussions surrounding climate change, clarifying the basic terms, science, and politics related to the issue. It is a genuine attempt to demystify the conversations on climate change, presenting the facts in a simple and organized manner and making important ideas accessible to readers.

Greening The Earth
By Edited by K. Satchidanandan and Nishi Chawla

This collection of poems from around the world captures a diverse range of voices and poetic responses that express anger, hope, compassion, and vision for the environmental health of the planet. It highlights humanity’s relationship with nature and the urgency of collective action to determine the fate of the world.

The Uninhabitable Earth
By David Wallace-Wells

In The Uninhabitable Earth, David Wallace-Wells paints a stark picture of the future, revealing the grim consequences of climate change—from devastating food shortages and refugee emergencies to mass extinctions. The book is both a sobering meditation on the catastrophic reality of inaction and a powerful call to action.

H Is for Hope: Climate Change From A to Z• By Elizabeth Kolbert

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert takes readers on a journey through essays that explore the many facets of climate change. From electric vehicles to capitalism and hope, this collection investigates the landscape of climate issues while offering an illustrated view of both the history and future of the crisis.

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate
By Naomi Klein

Delving into the heart of the conflict, This Changes Everything examines the impact of large-scale capitalism and corporate globalization on natural biodiversity and climate change. It maps the politics and challenges of balancing big corporations with a healthy planet, offering a fiery critique of materialism and its environmental consequences.

The Great Derangement
By Amitav Ghosh

In this non-fiction work, acclaimed Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh reflects on climate change through various lenses, exploring its representation in literature, its ties to imperialism, and the limitations of political discourse that reduce the problem to capitalism alone.

The Ministry for the Future
By Kim Stanley Robinson

This climate fiction novel by sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson follows protagonist Mary Murphy as she spearheads ambitious projects for the future of humanity. Set against the backdrop of climate change and Holocene extinction, the book blends elements of utopian fiction, horror, and science fiction to explore ideas of environmental sustainability.

Conclusion

These are just some of the books from the great pool of literature on climate change, science, and politics. They can serve as the starting point for your intellectual engagement with the problem that’s going to define the times of the coming ages. We’ve shared books from various genres including climate fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, documentaries, and others, letting you explore the thoughts according to your tastes. If you’d like to get more recommendations, or want to share some books with us, you can reach out to us.