Right wing populism and the climate change agenda: Exploring the linkages

The rise of right wing populism (RWP) poses a challenge for the climate agenda, as leaders and supporters tend to be climate sceptics and hostile to climate policy (although there are some variations within this general pattern). However, there is a surprising dearth of research that investigates the nature and causes of this association. This paper considers two kinds of explanation. One is termed 'structuralist', drawing on accounts of the roots of populism in economic and political marginalisation amongst those 'left behind' by globalisation and technological change. A second focuses on the ideological content of RWP, especially its antagonism between 'the people' and a cosmopolitan elite, with climate change and policy occupying a symbolic place in this contrast. It is argued that there are limits to the structuralist approach, and that an ideologically based explanation is more compelling. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research on right wing populism and climate science and policy