Worldwide climate policy is under attack with the U.S. leadership reneging on federal commitments, rolling back environmental regulations, and strengthening the role of fossil fuel as economic strategy. It’s easy to feel like the arc of climate progress is breaking.
“You don’t need everyone to make change,” Saad told our host Chad Frischmann. “You just need to gather enough people to reach a tipping point, and then things can change.”
Climate Action Undone—And What That Means
The focus lands squarely on the growing gap between what the science community recommends and what the U.S. is delivering, or not delivering.
Saad warned when the U.S.—with all its resources, innovation, and historical responsibility—fails to lead, it sends a dangerous signal to the rest of the world: That delay is acceptable. That targets are negotiable. That the window for action can stretch just a little longer.
But Saad said, movements must do what institutions won’t.
The Power of the Tipping Point
Saad has spent over a decade integrating his work in activism, systems science, and policy. His worked with the UN, the IPCC, and as co-founder of Plus One Vote reflects a deep understanding of how change actually happens through aligned public pressure and civic action.
Cultural tipping points come when communities refuse to let backsliding define the future. They start when movements focus on voter turnout, amplifying cultural narratives that make regeneration and justice part of everyday life and rally behind policies to articulate what the future needs.
““There's such potential for growth to further mobilize people in these campaigns and to get them out and vote. And I think that if we can root it all in science, if we can root it all in the social realities that we're experiencing as a result of climate change, we get everyone out to the polls.”
Saad offers a plan that begins with understanding that power doesn’t only reside in politics. It lives in communities, in culture, and in people who refuse to let the future be defined by political regression. Join the discussion to hear more about the importance of leveraging cultural tipping points for climate justice at this pivotal time in our changing world.
Saad is a prominent environmental justice advocate with more than a decade of contributions to global sustainability transition. As a consultant to the United Nations, an expert reviewer for the internet, and his work on the Sixth Assessment Report with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes up Saad's diverse environmental portfolio.
Notably, Saad secured significant funding for the national parks and co-created Harvard University Sustainability Plan. Beyond academia and advocacy, Saad co-founded Plus One Vote to amplify youth and Bipoc voter turnout, with collaboration spanning from al Gore to Taylor Swift, his campaigns have left nationwide impact. A Harvard graduate, Saad's voice resonates in outlets like National Geographic, TEDx X, and the United Nations, solidifying his position as a key influencer in the climate movement.
(AI was used in the compilation of this blog.)
