Building The Political Mandate for Climate Action...

Building the political mandate for climate action...

Politicians understand the need for action on climate change, but it is not straightforward for them to make the case for it.

There are three main reasons for this...

1. Climate change is seen as an ‘outsider’ issue, ie not something discussed as part of the political mainstream. This means that politicians may be reluctant to champion it.

2. Politicians feel under very little pressure to act on climate change. They report limited interest from their constituents, and indicate that they need to find ways to make climate action relevant to the daily lives and concerns of the electorate.

3. There are practical, procedural and even psychological difficulties in responding to climate change, as large scale, long term challenges do not fit well with the daily practice of politics.

Kikao Eco-Wild suggests that there needs to be more clarity about where responsibility lies for meeting the targets enshrined in the Climate Change Act and that this should be shared between government departments and local areas.

There is a need for policies that build engagement and public support, rather than assume passive consent from the electorate. Institutional changes could allow greater consideration of the future in political decision making.

The science is clear and the solutions are there. The missing ingredient, it is said, is the political will...

Involving people;

One practical way in which politicians could explore the public mandate for action, and develop meaningful policy solutions, is through greater use of deliberative processes, such as citizens’ assemblies. These allow citizens and experts to meet on equal terms, to assess evidence, debate and agree solutions.

Research has shown that politicians value these opportunities to engage directly with people despite the fact that climate change is of low importance to voters compared to ther issues.

Climate Change - It’s the ultimate challenge to politics, isn’t it...?

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