This chapter analyzes the concept of distress and its application into climate matters. Distress emerges as a broad concept with many connotations. There are so many similarities between climate distress and climate anxiety as broad concepts that they may be used almost interchangeably, but when these phenomena are more carefully scrutinized, a wide vocabulary of various mental states and emotions is required. The history of the usage of climate distress is provided. The role of power dynamics in the usages is explored. Contextual factors are discussed, especially in relation to various cultures and languages. Related dynamics are explored via the example of discourses about climate distress in Finland and Sweden. It is argued that care is needed in analyzing the usage of concepts by various authors. The dual character of climate distress as both a potential mental health issue and fundamentally an adaptive reaction is highlighted.

This chapter advocates for an emotion-aware approach to climate change ethics education. The authors begin by reviewing traditional strategies, both noting their strengths and limitations and highlighting how these traditional approaches often neglect the role of emotion in climate change ethics education. From here the authors discuss five philosophical frameworks that motivate and give substance to a more emotion-aware approach. They then detail four central pedagogical elements that are characteristic of this approach, explaining how these elements give shape to a distinctive and compelling pedagogical approach to climate change ethics education. They conclude by discussing both the benefits and challenges of adopting a more emotion-aware strategy.