Voting for a Climate Future

The year 2022 has been marked by the intertwining of political change and climate action. Citizens all around the world have gone to the polls to elect leaders who base their campaigns on environmental issues.  

So far, 164 countries have instituted at least one law related to combating climate change in their national policy. These vary from executive actions to amendments regarding climate provisions in their national constitutions.  

In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was edged out in what is considered one of the world’s first “climate elections.” Morrison committed the country to cutting just 35% of its current-day emissions by 2050, which is well short of the requests and demands of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP26). The national strategy also guarded the interests of the country’s fossil fuel companies, in some areas increasing their activity through additional oil exploration, refining, and distribution despite a definite risk of increasing emissions.  

The victorious opposition party, led by Anthony Albanese, ran a campaign that vocally supported drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Australia was found to have the highest greenhouse gas emissions of all OECD countries (or, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an organization of some of the world’s most developed and polluting countries.) Recognizing this reality, voters appeared to have elected leadership that outlined emissions reduction as a central issue, indicating the importance of the issue to the public. 

In France’s recent election, debates were highly focused on climate. Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate and challenger to the incumbent, centrist Emmanuel Macron, laid out climate agenda that would roll back France’s climate policy, including subsidizing fossil fuel imports to the country. Responding to these claims, voters again supported the candidate who laid out increases to the country’s climate policy, electing Macron once again.  

Germany’s federal elections in September of 2021 featured the rise of Alliance 90/The Greens, the country’s Green party, who enjoyed the largest margin of victory in years. The environmentalist party put forth a candidate for Chancellor, Annalena Baerbock, who fell short of winning, but was instated as the country’s foreign minister as a result of her success. The party received major support from younger voters aged 18 to 29, indicating a high youth interest in putting climate policies at the front.  

The resulting rhetoric around climate issues in the election is theorized to have made it a major part of all party platforms this election cycle. Baerbock has signaled to the international community that Germany will take aggressive action to drastically reduce its climate impact by 2030. This signals a major shift in the political popularity of addressing environmental issues, even indicating that climate is no longer a “right vs. left” issue, but an issue of human survival.  

These examples of the past year shed light on what voters might be looking for in future elections. One such election is coming up on June 19th in Colombia, centered on two political wings of the country with drastically different takes on climate issues. Far-right candidate Rodolfo Hernandez will face off against far-left Gustavo Petro.  

At the core of the left’s campaign is a plan to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. This would require ceasing oil exploration programs that the country currently enjoys and reallocating those funds toward anti-poverty programs. The right candidate’s platform includes cutting and combining various governmental organizations and offices which could impact the country’s climate policy adherence.  

The United States is not immune to such political divides regarding climate. The results of the upcoming midterm elections in November will hold serious implications on the ability to pass meaningful climate change legislation, through both chambers of Congress. While many in the environmental and public health fields enter the profession to remain apolitical and free of government affairs, the reality is that much of our work centers on the interest and will of the electorate. It will be essential to support candidates that take seriously the threats to the well-being of the environment if we are to meet climate goals and ensure the health of the planet. 

Climate policy and environmental action are no longer an issue that one side of the political spectrum adopts into their agenda. It is clear from recent world elections that these issues will continue to grow in popularity and cruciality. It is essential that these efforts are backed by sound science and good communication in order to ensure the future health of all world citizens.