Among sweeping rightwing electoral victories across the globe, the ‘big loser of the elections has been climate’

Summary

Amid record global heat and worsening climate disasters, 2024’s elections worldwide have highlighted declining political commitment to addressing the climate crisis.

Right-wing victories, including Trump’s U.S. win and climate-skeptic gains in Europe, have sidelined climate action, prioritizing inflation and energy costs instead.

The troubled Cop29 summit in Azerbaijan, marked by stalled emissions cuts and defiant pro-fossil fuel rhetoric, reflects this shift.

While some countries, like the UK, advanced climate agendas, overall momentum is fading, leaving activists and scientists alarmed as time to prevent catastrophic warming runs out.