Here are our reflections on the first dialogue we hosted in Bengaluru, India, to launch our agency project, along with what we have in store for the future.
The Agency Project in India began long before our gathering in Bengaluru. Its roots go back to an anger monitor and two crisis monitors we conducted in 2024, which revealed something important: Indian communities are experiencing a complex emotional landscape around climate. We saw high levels of anger, powerlessness and even climate denial, emotions shaped not only by lived experiences, but also by the constant circulation of catastrophic, doomsday narratives.
In a country where political realities, economic pressures and social inequities demand daily attention, climate often becomes deprioritised. And when climate communication focuses primarily on crisis, it risks driving people further into fatigue, apathy or withdrawal. We realised we needed an alternative climate narrative; one that mainstreams solutions, centres communities and moves beyond fear.
This was the spark. That’s how Momentum Shifts and Mindworks came together.
We began by asking a simple but profound question: Do people who experience agency feel differently about the climate crisis than those who don’t? The clear answer was yes.
As we followed that thread, what emerged was even more powerful. Across cities and regions, we began discovering community-led solutions; grounded, practical, adaptive responses to extreme weather and climate shocks. Communities were innovating, organising and acting, often with minimal resources. These weren’t isolated stories; they were patterns of resilience.
We captured these stories, travelled across multiple cities, and learned that climate agency isn’t an abstract idea. It is something people practice every day.
With these stories in hand, the next step was clear. We needed to bring together the people who could expand this narrative: implementers, civil society groups, storytellers, content creators, researchers, media partners and ecosystem builders.
The India convening at Samagata, Bengaluru, was our first step in shaping that ecosystem. We created a space for dialogue, reflection and exchange; a chance for silos to break and for a shared understanding to emerge around agency-led storytelling.
The resonance in the room confirmed what we imagined: there is a strong appetite for a new climate narrative grounded in possibility, not paralysis.
One of the strongest takeaways from our journey is that community-driven climate solutions already exist across India. Some emerge through external support, others arise entirely from within communities. What matters is that these solutions offer hope, proof and pathways. When we bring them into mainstream storytelling, our narratives shift from despair to possibility.
Climate storytelling cannot be limited to nonprofits or community organisations. For narratives to shift, we need participation from media, influencers, institutions, researchers, creators and local leaders. A vibrant narrative ecosystem depends on multiple players telling these stories repeatedly and across platforms.
Climate agency is felt most deeply at the local level. Stories that emerge from specific contexts have the power to resonate widely because they carry authenticity. These solutions may inspire replication elsewhere, but their first value is emotional. They show people that “this is possible,” offering solace and motivation.
India already has strong dissemination systems for many social issues. Climate solutions deserve the same. We need rhythmic, repeated storytelling across languages, geographies, and media formats so that agency becomes familiar, visible, and central to how we talk about climate.
Communities are not just the frontline of climate impact; they are also the frontline of climate adaptation. Adaptation, in fact, is one of the strongest pathways to building agency. When communities repeatedly absorb the shock of extreme weather events, the risks of disempowerment, exhaustion and even toxic anger are very real. But when people have access to the means, resources and space to create solutions, when adaptation becomes a process they shape, not just endure, it transforms their social capital.
By supporting these pathways of agency, we enable long-term resilience rather than temporary coping. This makes communities not only more prepared for future climate shocks, but also more confident, connected and empowered. Organisations like Mindworks Lab and Momentum Shifts can convene, document and amplify, but the centre must always remain with communities themselves. They are the ones who design, lead and sustain the solutions that truly shift narratives.
With the India convening, we have taken a step toward building a collaborative ecosystem for climate agency narratives. From here, we hope to hold more dialogues, deepen local storytelling networks, and identify storytellers across the country who can continuously bring forward community-rooted solutions.
This is only the beginning, but it is a beginning grounded in possibility.
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