Hot Issues: Battle for the climate at the ballot box

The author warns that a rightward political shift in the EU and UK could lead to the rollback of climate regulations and the weakening of the European Green Deal. While EU citizens express high levels of concern for climate change, competing priorities like security and healthcare may lead them to vote for parties hostile to green policies. The text urges activists to combat political apathy and maintain climate action on the political agenda even if climate-skeptical forces gain power.

• Right-wing and climate-skeptical parties are gaining significant traction in Europe, with projections suggesting they could place first, second, or third in EU elections across 18 countries. This trend is exemplified by the Netherlands, where the far-right Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) intends to scrap the Climate Law and other climate regulations.
• There is concern that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen may compromise the European Green Deal and the EU's 2040 climate target to court far-right allies, such as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
• In the UK, climate action faces uncertainty following a snap election call by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has prioritised energy security and finances over what he termed 'environmental dogma'.
• While a 2023 European Commission survey shows over 75% of EU citizens view climate change as a very serious problem, other priorities such as security, defence, public health, and poverty often rank higher in voter priority surveys.
• An IMF study suggests that specific policy tools—including carbon pricing, energy efficiency standards, and faster permitting for renewables—can actually improve energy security, countering the narrative that climate action compromises security.

APA

Diab, K. (2024). Hot Issues: Battle for the climate at the ballot box. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/05/29/hot-issues-battle-for-the-climate-at-the-ballot-box/

Chicago

Diab, Khaled. Hot Issues: Battle for the climate at the ballot box. Carbon Market Watch, 2024. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/05/29/hot-issues-battle-for-the-climate-at-the-ballot-box/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Diab |first1=Khaled |title=Hot Issues: Battle for the climate at the ballot box |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=29 May 2024 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/05/29/hot-issues-battle-for-the-climate-at-the-ballot-box/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{diab2024hot, author = {Diab, Khaled}, title = {{Hot Issues: Battle for the climate at the ballot box}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/05/29/hot-issues-battle-for-the-climate-at-the-ballot-box/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }