We are facing the environmental management paradox. The west prospered through years of industrial development, using fossil fuels to drive growth. We are now aware that Climate Change is a threat, and demand that third world countries scale back their use, whilst at the same time they are looking to become more self sufficient and advanced using technologies that rely upon them because they are the easiest to implement without an existing technology framework, and without extensive research. As far as they are concerned we are asking countries to voluntarily limit their own growth out of poverty to benefit everyone, whilst developed countries, who are years ahead in terms of renewables suffer relatively little. In reality all this could be resolved through distribution of technology and wealth, to enable the development of renewable infrastructure, but it won't because the mega rich, who are on boards of companies developing renewables (all 1st world) will see an opportunity to squeeze developing nations more, and keep ahead in the Nation race.
More generally, I think the reason for pessimism around the response to Climate Change is that all this needed to have been done 20 years ago to avoid the death of billions. As it is, and with an additional 20 years of warming locked into the system even if we went net zero as a planet today (which of course we won't), that is looking increasingly inevitable without a rabbit out of the hat solution. And I say that with the heaviest of hearts. When I was studying it there just seemed like there would be more time, but things have moved faster than even pessimists would have predicted.
All the above being said, there exists on this planet right now the science, technology, capital, engineering capacity and skill to prevent this becoming apocalyptic. Whilst I disagree broadly with their methods of protest, we do need to stop (as Tool said once) 'fretting for our lattes', and worrying about a 5 minute delay due to JSO, and get shit done.
I'm waiting for someone to go on Radio 4 and say in response to any questions about how the greening of our economy may discomfort some section of society say 'what does it matter, if they are dead'.