Ecopolitical catatonia: How political fantasies sustain inaction in global environmental politics

As climate and ecological crises threaten human well-being and life on Earth, plans for genuine change remain woefully inadequate. We find ourselves in a paradoxical state of awareness of existential threats yet largely failing to translate this awareness into meaningful action. Different aspects of this peculiar condition have been highlighted in global environmental politics (GEP) literature by terms like ‘disavowal’, ‘lethargy’, ‘inertia’, ‘the post-political’, and ‘denial’. In this article, we term this condition ‘ecopolitical catatonia’, to emphasise its complex emotional and affective aspects, as well as its life-threatening dimension.