Climate is 'the big loser' in huge year of elections

An unprecedented year of elections around the world has underscored a sobering trend - in many countries the commitment to act on the climate crisis has either stalled or is eroding, even as disasters and record temperatures continue to mount.

- Oliver Milman

So far 2024, called the "biggest election year in human history" by the UN with around half the world's population heading to the polls, there have been major wins for Donald Trump, who calls the climate crisis "a big hoax"; the climate-sceptic right in European Union elections; and Vladimir Putin, who won another term and has endured sanctions to maintain Russia's robust oil and gas exports.

"It's quite clear that in most advanced economies the big loser of the elections has been climate," said Catherine Fieschi, an expert in European politics and populism.

"It's been a bad year for climate and we've seen a gradual erosion in the public's commitment to action for a couple of years now. The paradox is, of course, that major climate events are happening more frequently everywhere, yet people are no longer willing to prioritise this," she said.