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In 2024, as the world turns its attention to a series of critical elections spanning multiple continents, an unexpected trend has emerged. Despite an alarming rise in extreme weather events—from devastating hurricanes and unprecedented wildfires to record-breaking heatwaves and floods—environmental issues have not risen to the forefront of political agendas. Instead, many political parties across the globe continue to focus on traditional issues leaving climate change and environmental sustainability in the background. This lack of environmental prioritisation, amidst increasingly visible and severe impacts of climate change, raises questions about the future of global environmental policy and the political will to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
A study by a team of researchers led by Tim Wappenhans from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany found that ‘apart from Green parties, extreme weather events do not increase attention towards environmental issues’ suggesting that ‘the consequences of climate change might not directly increase political attention.’ An article about the study recently published in Nature Climate Change mentioned that as part of the study, the researchers ‘collected a dataset of over 260,000 press releases from 68 parties in nine countries from 2010 to 2020.’
How was the study conducted?
The study measures political attention to environmental issues by analysing the share of press releases issued by parties on these topics, reflecting their policy priorities. It tracks extreme weather events such as fatal storms, floods, wildfires, and extreme temperature spells—events that are expected to increase with climate change and typically prompt political response. Using a difference-in-differences design, the study estimates the causal effect of these extreme weather events on the level of attention political parties devote to environmental matters.
“We follow previous research on party politics and focus on the share of press releases each party devotes to the Environment. This category refers to climate, sustainability and environmental policies, allowing us to include a broad array of ways through which parties discuss climate change. Attention is the process through which politicians allocate their scarce time and resources to a certain policy issue over other issues,” the researchers said.
What did they find?
The study found ‘only short-lived effects for Green parties, with other parties showing persistent unresponsiveness’ about environmental issues following extreme weather events. The study also noted that the lack of response is particularly concerning given the fact that the study covered regions where ‘parties’ responsiveness to extreme weather events’ were likely. The researchers gave the example of Europe, ‘where voters and politicians have been sensitized to environmental concerns for decades.’ The study had also considered severe, fatal weather events increasing the chances of political response. It had also analysed political speech for quicker reactions; and it includes a broad range of environmental issues providing the political parties the option of responding in various ways. Despite these factors, there is no evidence of increased attention to environmental matters across different contexts, the researchers found in the study.
How is the study different from similar, previous ones?
The research expands on previous studies in climate politics in several key ways. It shifts the focus from the impact of extreme weather events on voters to how political parties respond to these events. It also addresses the mixed evidence regarding the relationship between extreme weather events and political behaviour by conducting a cross-country analysis and employing a more detailed empirical approach. Further, it examines these effects outside the United States, where most prior studies have been concentrated. Thus the study provides crucial insights into climate change politics, indicating that even severe, fatal weather events do not lead to increased attention to climate issues among political parties.
What about India?
While the study didn’t cover India, which recently witnessed a long schedule of General Elections 2024, we have seen various reports about climate change and environmental issues missing from the political rhetoric. During the six-week voting period, the country faced one of the worst heatwaves on record, yet climate change and environmental issues were scarcely mentioned in public political discourse. Despite the severe weather conditions, including extreme temperatures in northern India and Cyclone Remal causing devastation in the northeast, political discussions remained focused on other issues. The election manifestos of the major parties included climate measures, but these topics were not highlighted in campaigns. Surveys indicate that the average Indian voter prioritises employment, inflation, and basic needs over environmental concerns, which explains the lack of emphasis on climate issues. However, given India’s vulnerability to climate change, it is crucial for both the public and political leaders to address these challenges to ensure a secure future.
Also read :
Climate Change not getting enough attention in Indian politics, CFC survey finds
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