Climate change today is more than a mere scientific fact: it is a political and ideological weapon. In fact, there are even those who argue that it is not a scientific fact at all, but a hoax created to frighten and destabilize.
Thus, despite the consensus in the world of Science about the central role of human activities in climate change, in the world of Politics that recognition depends on the ideological orientation of the representatives. And this can have impacts, positive or negative, on climate mitigation efforts.
Now, a study recently published in the journal Communications Sustainability, led by the University of Konstanz (Germany), comes to show that politicians have much more polarized views on climate change than ordinary citizens.
The work analyzed statements from 714 elected political representatives and 18,281 residents from Australia, Belgium, Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the Czech Republic.
One of the study’s main conclusions is that “the difference between the positions of left and right representatives is almost three times larger than the difference between the views of left- and right-wing voters,” explains Johannes Kotz, the article’s first author. And this gap is even more pronounced among politicians from fringe parties and the electorate.
Moreover, the differences between left- and right-wing politicians are not limited to divergent stances on mitigation policies, investments and other types of measures. There are fundamental differences in how politicians view the very scientific underpinnings of climate change, namely the causes of the phenomenon.
“The views on climate change are not merely abstract opinions that have no political consequences,” notes Kotz, for whom they are directly linked to the support or rejection of concrete climate measures.
The researchers understand that this could lead to a political representation framework that does not truly reflect voters’ opinions on climate change or their willingness to support, for example, mitigation policies.
“We show that belief in human-caused climate change is politically polarized and is relevant to the support for mitigation policies by both politicians and citizens in developed democracies,” reads the scientific article released.
“This study highlights the need to develop effective communication strategies and structural reforms to promote science-based, nonpartisan political debates, as well as to realign politicians’ climate opinions with those of voters, especially among right-wing politicians,” the researchers conclude.
