This year, more than half of the world's population will have the opportunity to vote in elections, which will have a huge impact on the planet.
In 2022, we experienced the hottest year on record. That record is expected to be broken in 2023, and both records are expected to be broken this year. This is no longer the age of global warming. As United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez has warned, we are well into an “era of global boiling.”
Democracy and climate action are deeply intertwined. But now we are creating cracks in fragile ecosystems and weak governance systems.
I can't shake the memory of the burnt orange skies of New York City, where I live, or the catastrophic scenes of submerged Pakistan, where my family is from. I am a climate activist and have dedicated my life to fighting the climate crisis. I've organized large-scale voting campaigns, led climate strikes, and worked on climate policy from the local level to the United Nations.
The link between climate action and democracy is clear. If more people vote for politicians who support climate justice, we will reach critical mass and pass innovative climate policies.
With more than 50 countries holding elections this year, this could be your chance. Elections will be held in countries particularly affected by the climate crisis, including Pakistan, South Africa and India. There will also be conflicts between major polluting countries, including India, the European Union Parliament and, of course, the United States. Democracy is the best tool we have to roll out the changes we need at the scale and urgency the climate crisis demands. Nevertheless, democracy is under attack.
After organizing relentlessly during the 2020 election cycle, my excitement for the right to vote grew. Georgians overcame systematic voter suppression and elected two senators committed to enacting reform. The need for change became even clearer as a mob of insurrectionists stormed the capital in an attempt to overturn the election.
Still, there has been little accountability for the January 6 riot. And the For the People Act, the signature voting rights bill that was once a top priority for Congressional Democrats, went nowhere. Instead, more than 300 voting restriction bills were introduced in 45 states last year, and photos of former President Trump's face are being sold as election merchandise.
The threat of authoritarianism is alive and well around the world. Petroleum states thrive under authoritarianism, and authoritarians allow petrostates to thrive. This year elections will be held in major fossil fuel exporting countries such as Venezuela and Russia. But the people are not represented in free and fair elections. And Russia's attempts to encircle Ukraine will continue to expose a destabilizing and unreliable global fossil fuel market.
The United States is the world's largest oil producer, making it the largest oil nation among them. We are teetering between democracy and authoritarianism while tackling the climate crisis and her 2024 election head-on.
If the United States wants to be a leader in global democracy, it must take stronger action on the climate crisis. I was at the White House for the announcement of the Inflation Control Act, which provides record amounts of funding for climate change infrastructure while also supporting and funding fossil fuel development. Young voters especially feel betrayed by the president's reneging on promises to end construction of fossil fuel infrastructure and support for known carbon bombs like the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska.
We must never underestimate our collective power. When people have a choice, they choose climate justice. In Brazil, Prime Minister Jair Bolsonaro was ousted after destroying the Brazilian Amazon. For the first time in history, Ecuador's democratic referendum allows citizens to vote directly to halt drilling in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.
According to a recent study I co-authored at Yale University, 44 percent of registered voters in the United States are more likely to support a candidate who supports climate justice. The relentless work of the climate movement has made climate justice a central issue for politicians.
Representative democracy can be transformative. Currently, 25 percent of registered voters in the United States say they “probably” or “definitely” intend to participate in a campaign to persuade elected officials to take action to advance climate justice. Currently, only 1 percent of voters are eligible. This means that the movement for climate justice is just beginning, and we have great potential to organize the largest movement for climate justice ever.
The solution is obvious. To force politicians to act, we must come together in droves. As we fight global authoritarian forces, we must take to the streets and mobilize voters so that we can ultimately also tackle the global climate crisis. Our democracy and the fate of our planet are at stake.
Saad Amer is a climate change activist focused on environmental justice. He is the founder of the sustainability consultancy Justice Environment and a consultant to the United Nations.
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