Rainforests wheeze, sea levels rise and the planet is on fire. Meanwhile, influential public policy think tanks have conjured up the 'anti-Greta'—at least that bizarre conflict for climate engagement is restricted to Zoom, for now. The slump in global greenhouse emissions as a result of COVID-19 highlights how immediate radical change is possible. It has taken three months to achieve drops we thought would take three decades. Once this pandemic has run its course, the previous incremental narratives will have no remaining legitimacy. However much this is cause for optimism, catastrophic economic fallout is another legacy which risks undermining the momentum behind the climate change movement as countries desperately try to resurrect their economies. This edition serves not just as a focus, but as a timely reminder of how the future of this planet rests on these next 12 months. COVID-19 has the capacity to make or break life as we know it in more ways than one. CRXSS examines why the stakes for our climate will never be higher.