Jewish people can use our professional lives to tackle the climate crisis

It’s a good time for doom mongers. Last week, a leading Anthropic engineer resigned, saying that artificial intelligence had a greater than ten percent chance of eliminating all humans within a decade. The spectre of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias continues to rear its ugly head, with British Jews caught in a vice between the far right elements of the current Netanyahu government and the far left elements of the British electorate. The global and national economy feels on the verge of collapse with run-away sovereign debt, the hollowing out of industry and the fragility of global supply chains. And, the climate and nature crisis is no longer a future problem but is being felt every day, from devastating floods in Nepal, wildfires around the world and here in the UK and chaotic weather patterns that we know are going to become more extreme. The words ‘who by fire and who by water’ have never felt more apt.

We live in an overwhelming world of interconnected, highly complicated and very worrying trends, all of which seem to be tracking the wrong way. And yet. Our lives are the most glorious of wonders. We enjoy the magical fruits of modern day prosperity of which our ancestors could have only dreamed. We can communicate with friends and loved ones, anywhere, instantly at the touch of a button. We can tackle a greater breadth and depth of disease than anytime in human history. We can enjoy an endless variety of foods and arts in abundance. We can pursue jobs that are less about survival and more about personal (and even societal) growth. Until relatively recently, most of these things were only available to the privileged few, if at all. Now, for most people, they are an everyday expectation. We live better than the kings and queens of the past.

As we approach Yom Kippur, I try to keep hold of these two truths together. We face a highly troubling and uncertain future, and we have so much to protect to be grateful for and that we cannot take for granted.

The growing consensus amongst climate scientists is that runaway global warming has likely decoupled from carbon emissions due to self-reinforcing feedback loops. Declining polar ice reduces the planet’s albedo effect, lowering heat reflection back into space. Deforestation continues to undercut the biosphere’s capacity to absorb carbon, while changing climate drivers like ‘Super El Niño’ cycles accelerate warming. The result is not a smooth, gradual temperature rise, but systemic shocks: threatened food supplies, unliveable heatwaves, severe flooding, and rapid biodiversity loss. Scientists warn these impacts will not wait for the distant future—they are set to hit over the next decade or two. (Assuming the robots or the antisemites don’t get to us first.)

Faced with challenges this vast, it is tempting to sink into denial or throw up our hands, hoping for a techno-miracle to save us. But ducking the fight is not the Jewish way. Our fundamental duty is to take responsibility for the world—not as it is, but as it ought to be. Throughout our history, Jewish values have demanded action on the defining ethical issues of the day.

For the climate and nature crisis, the single greatest lever most of us possess is our professional life. That is why I co-founded the Jewish Climate Professionals Network (JCPN) – an initiative of our small but mighty charity, EcoJudaism. JCPN has grown into a thriving network of over 200 lawyers, financiers, clinicians, educators, engineers, and entrepreneurs who are using their daily work to tackle the crisis.

It is also why JCPN and EcoJudaism, in collaboration with the Jewish Ethics Project (JEP), have published The Climate Cheshbon HaNefesh for synagogue pews across the UK this High Holy Day season. Grounded in both rigorous science and our tradition, this sector-by-sector guide connects core Jewish values – such as Sakana (danger to life), Shmita (restraint), and Pikuach Nefesh (saving lives) – with concrete workplace action across finance, law, health, energy, industry and beyond. It offers every congregant a practical framework to turn their soul-searching into tangible professional impact.

Every bee produces only a fraction of a teaspoon of honey, yet together they yield the sweetness we enjoy at the New Year. If each of us acts as a worker bee – using our individual professional roles to drive positive change – we can collectively leverage our voice and values to ensure the future remains liveable, vibrant, and sweet.

Rafi Addlestone is Chair of Trustees of EcoJudaism, co-founder of the Jewish Climate Professionals Network, co-chair of Golders Green United Synagogue, Trustee at JW3, co-host of The Impact Equation podcast and Chief Strategy Officer at Pineapple Partnerships.