In the face of the “existential threat posed by climate change,” the new visa offers Tuvalu citizens a pathway to permanent residency in Australia. Since mid-June, more than a third of Tuvalu’s population has registered for an online ballot to obtain the world-first climate visa.

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More than 1,000 Tuvalu nationals have entered the ballot to apply for an Australian visa since it opened earlier this month. When accounting for family members – including applicants’ spouses and children – the total surpassed 4,000. For an island that is home to some 10,000 people, the number is rather impressive.

Earth.Org looks at how the visa works and why it has gained so much traction in so little time.

How Does the Visa Work?

The Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) – Treaty stream (Tuvalu) was created as part of a bilateral treaty between Australia and Tuvalu encompassing three crucial aspects: climate cooperation, mobility, and security.

The pathway to permanent residency is open to all Tuvalu citizens above 18 years of age, as long as they have not obtained their Tuvaluan citizenship through an investment to Tuvalu and are not citizens of New Zealand. While not specifically a climate visa, New Zealand also offers citizens of Tuvalu and three other Pacific Island nations a pathway to permanent residency through a ballot system.

Only up to 280 Tuvaluans will be granted the visa every year, which allows them to work, study or live in Australia. A job offer, contrary to other visa schemes for Pacific citizens, is not required.

To obtain it, applicants must first register to an online ballot, which opened on June 16 and will close on July 18. The random selection period will open on July 25 and conclude in January 2026.

World-First Climate Visa

While the visa itself does not mention climate change, the bilateral treaty Australia and Tuvalu that led to it does. Signed in late 2023, the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union treaty aims to protect the two countries’ shared interests in security, prosperity and stability “in the face of the existential threat posed by climate change.”

Recognizing climate change as Tuvalu’s “greatest national security concern,” Australia committed to providing assistance to the small nation in case of natural disasters and support for adaptation. Meanwhile, the mobility component of the treaty introduced a special pathway for Tuvaluans to live, study and work in Australia permanently and access benefits granted to permanent residents of the country, including public education and health services.

When announcing the treaty in 2023, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it came in response to a request by Tuvalu “to safeguard the future of [its] people, identity and culture”.

“That is why we are assisting on adaptation, but we are also providing the security that these guarantees represent for the people of Tuvalu, who want to preserve their culture, want to preserve their very nation going forward as well,” Albanese said at the time.

Lying just 5 meters (16 feet) above sea levels, experts have warned that up to 90% of the archipelago could be underwater by 2100. But the small nation, home to nearly 11,000 people, is also facing other climate-related threats, including water scarcity, loss of crucial ecosystems and escalating extreme weather events, which are leading financial instability and huge cultural losses.

Over the past 50 years, nearly 1,500 disasters in the South-West Pacific have caused 66,951 deaths and over US$185 billion in economic losses, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Despite contributing only 0.02% of global emissions, the region’s 14 Small Island Developing States, including Tuvalu, are particularly at risk from climate hazards. Sea levels in the region have risen nearly twice as fast as the global average, and sea surface temperatures have increased three times faster since the 1980s. In 2019, modellings by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology found that droughts and climate change-induced floods in the region have already increased in frequency by 30%, and are projected to increase by 90% in the first half of this century and 130% in the latter half.

More on the topic: Tuvalu’s Sinking Reality: How Climate Change Is Threatening the Small Island Nation

Other Pathways

A separate pathway to obtain permanent residency in Australia for Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals is the Pacific Engagement Visa. Citizens of the 10 participating countries who are aged between 18 and 45, as well as their partners and children, can apply for one of 3,000 visas available each year, also trough an online ballot. As permanent residents, visa holders will get access to Australia’s universal health care system Medicare, public schools, child care subsidies and family tax benefits.

In 2024, the program allocated 100 visas to Tuvalu nationals.

It also allocated 1,515 visas for Papua New Guinea nationals, 300 each for Fiji, Timor-Leste and Tonga nationals, 150 each for Solomon Islands, Nauru and Vanuatu, 24 for Federated States of Micronesia and 11 for Palau nationals.

Race Against Time

The rush for Australia’s new climate visa is emblematic of the existential threat faced by dozens of nations worldwide.

The growing threats of climate change are poised to reshape the world map, permanently altering borders, cultures and geopolitics. Unless the world acts now, the disappearance of Tuvalu will serve as a prelude to large-scale loss and suffering around the world.

Featured image: UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji via Flickr.

The New South Wales’ Rural Fire Service (RFS) last year predicted a “normal” fire season for most of 2024 and “increased fire activity” in early 2025.

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A heatwave in Australia’s southeast intensified over the weekend, increasing the risk of bushfires and prompting fire bans across the region.

The heatwave sent the mercury above 40C in parts of the state of Victoria on Sunday, prompting local authorities to issue total fire bans across three districts facing “extreme” fire danger.

Firefighters on Monday managed to contain a large fire that ripped through The Grampians National Park in Victoria’s west for 21 days. The fire, which spread across 74,000 hectares, destroyed four homes and multiple sheds and killed hundreds of animals.

“It is likely we will still see smoke and small flare-ups in the area, but we will continue to be present to deal with these when and as they arise,” incident Controller Peter West told ABC news on Monday as he declared the fire contained. 

The states of Western Australia, New South Wales (NSW) and Tasmania were also under heatwave warnings on Sunday as temperatures neared 40C.

Firefighters on Monday said a bushfire in the Attunga State Forest in NSW was finally “under control.” The fire, which ignited by a lightning strike on Saturday, December 28, has burned 1,277 hectares.

“There is still a lot of smoke visible, but nearly all that’s associated with containment strategy backburning,” said NSW’ Rural Fire Service (RFS) public information officer Inspector Lachlan Gilchrist. “At the moment we are cautiously optimistic … we are not expecting a significant increase in fire behaviour in the coming 48 hours, and there is no pressure on containment lines.”

Cooler weather and rainfall were expected to bring some relief to the Southeast from Monday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

“After storms passed through the area yesterday, several new fires have been detected in remote bushland to the north of Colo Heights, in the Hawkesbury LGA,” the RFS said on Monday. “Today, northerly winds will push smoke from these fires into the north-western parts of Sydney.”

As of noon on Monday, 87 fire were burning across NSW.

Climate Change

The NSW RFS last year predicted a “normal” fire season for most of 2024 amid “wetter-than-normal conditions” and “an increased chance of above average rainfall through winter and spring.” However, it also added that fire activity could increase in early 2025 amid an increase in temperatures across the country.

2024 was Australia’s second-hottest year on record overall, behind only 2019, with the average temperature 1.46C above the 1961-1990 average. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology also noted that Australia’s ten hottest years all occurred in the past two decades and that only two years of the past 40 have been cooler than average, the Guardian reported.

Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, deputy director of the Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather at Australian National University, said higher-than-usual temperatures were becoming routine as she blamed human-made climate change.

“Undoubtedly climate change has been a major factor because none of the climate mechanisms that gear things up for a hot year – like El Niño or [conditions in the Indian ocean] were really in play,” Perkins-Kirkpatrick said.

Australia has warmed by 1.51C since high-quality records started in 1910, according to a recent report by the Bureau of Meteorology that also found an upward trend in extremely hot days – days when the average temperature for the continent was in the top 1% of hottest on record.

“We know heatwaves are becoming longer and the intensity is increasing and they are becoming more frequent,” said Karl Braganza, the bureau’s climate services manager. “The rate of change points to how rapidly our climate system is changing. The climate of the 1980s and 1990s is very different to what we are experiencing today.”

The same report also found an increase in the number of dangerous fire weather days since the 1950s and a longer fire season for much of southern and eastern Australia.

Rising ocean temperatures off Australia’s coastline are threatening the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, as well as kelp and seagrass.

A paper last year warned that this generation will likely witness the demise of the iconic reef unless rapid, coordinated, and ambitious action is taken globally to reverse climate change. Scientists said that at this rate, the reef is at risk of experiencing “near-annual coral bleaching,” which would “further threaten the ecological function and outstanding universal value of one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders.”

This weekly round-up brings you key climate news from the past seven days, including the devastating toll of wildfires in Greece and a Guardian investigation revealing that a non-profit linked to Shell donated to anti-climate groups linked to Project 2025.

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1. Thousands Flee as Wildfires Rage Across Athens Suburbs Amid Hottest Summer on Record

Greece’s worst wildfire so far this year began spreading into Athens suburbs on Monday after first igniting in the northern fringes of the capital on Sunday afternoon, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said on Monday that “[t]he EU civil protection mechanism was activated upon request of the Greek authorities.” In a post on X, the EU civil protection unit said it had mobilized two firefighting planes from its fleet in Italy, one helicopter from France, and ground firefighting teams from Czechia and Romania. Meanwhile, local authorities deployed more than 700 local firefighters, 199 fire engines and 35 waterbombing aircrafts, according to the BBC.

Like many other parts of the world, Greece has seen a notable increase in temperatures in recent years. The country just had its hottest June and July on record. Historical data suggests that the average temperature for July has increased by 2.5C between 1960 and now, with three of the four warmest July months in at least the last 80 years occurring in the past four years.

Read more here.

2. Non-Profit Linked to Oil Giant Shell Donated to Anti-Climate Conservative Groups Behind Project 2025, Investigation Reveals

Tax records analyzed by the Guardian show that the Shell USA Company Foundation sent $544,010 between 2013 and 2022 to several conservative and religious organizations advocating against LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, and denying climate change.

Among the recipients are fourteen groups figuring on the board of Project 2025, a political initiative that promotes conservative and right-wing policies to reshape the US federal government and consolidate Donald Trump’s executive power if he wins the upcoming presidential election. While Trump has distanced himself from the conservative blueprint, it was revealed that more than 100 people who worked for his administration contributed to it.

According to the Guardian, the Shell USA Company Foundation, operated by Shell’s American subsidiary, “helps employees boost their charitable giving to non-profits,” matching them by up to $7,500. A spokesperson told the newspaper that the foundation “does not endorse any organization” and employees donations are “not directed by the company.”

Read more here.

3. Extreme Heat Killed Nearly 48,000 People in Europe Last Year: Study

Nearly 48,000 people died in Europe last year due to extreme heat, according to a new study that argues heat-related mortality would have been 80% higher had it not been for modern-day adaptation measures. In the study period 2014-2023, only 2022 surpassed last year in terms of heat-related deaths with over 60,000 casualties.

Of the 47,690 estimated deaths in 2023, 47,312 occurred between late May and early October, the hottest months of the year, and mostly in Southern European countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Portugal. The study, published Monday in Nature Medicine, also found that women and the elderly were disproportionally affected.

Heat-related mortality in Europe has increased by around 30% in the past two decades, while heat-related deaths are estimated to have increased in 94% of the European regions monitored.

Read more here.

4. Destructive Wildfires At Least Three Times More Likely Due to Climate Change, Report Finds

Published Wednesday in the journal Earth System Science Data (ESSD), the inaugural State of Wildfires report looked at large-scale wildfire events during the 2023-24 season. Despite being “slightly below average” in terms of area burnt compared to previous seasons, the total amount of carbon emissions generated from all fire events combined last year was 16% above average, totalling 8.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the analysis revealed.

Almost a quarter of this increase can be attributed to Canada’s record-breaking fire season. Last year, nearly 6,600 blazes burnt across 45 million acres, 5% of the entire forest area of Canada and roughly seven times the annual average, affecting 230,000 people. According to the EU-funded Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), fire carbon emissions totalled 480 megatonnes, over nine times the historical average, with toxic smoke reaching as far as the US East Coast.

According to the report, which is set to be published every year, climate change increased the probability of high fire weather conditions, long-term average burned area, and extreme burned area during the 2023/24 season. The report found that anthropogenic influence on the climate system made the fires in Canada at least three times more likely as it increased the risk of high fire weather.

Read more here.

5. Australia’s Fossil Fuel Exports Ranked 2nd For Climate Footprint Globally, Report Finds

Australia’s fossil fuel exports contribute to global emissions more than any other country aside from Russia, owing particularly to the footprint of coal exports, according to a new report that suggests emissions will rise by 50% over the next decade.

The country’s climate footprint – roughly 4.5% of global fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, with 80% coming from coal and gas exports – “far exceeds” its economic size and population, the report says. Without fossil fuel exports, the country’s contribution to global emissions would be around 1%. Australia also remains the country with one of the highest per-capita emissions for all greenhouse gases, double that of China and nine times larger than India, the world’s first and third largest emitters, respectively.

The country ranked third in the world for fossil exports in 2021, behind only Russia and the US. In 2022, it accounted for 52% of global metallurgical coal exports and 17% of global thermal coal exports.

Read more here.

While Australia releases about only 1% of global emissions at home, it was linked to about 4.5% once its fossil fuel exports were counted.

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Australia’s fossil fuel exports contribute to global emissions more than any other country aside from Russia, owing particularly to the footprint of coal exports, according to a new report that suggests emissions will rise by 50% over the next decade.

The country’s climate footprint – roughly 4.5% of global fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, with 80% coming from coal and gas exports – “far exceeds” its economic size and population, the report says. Without fossil fuel exports, the country’s contribution to global emissions would be around 1%. Australia also remains the country with one of the highest per-capita emissions for all greenhouse gases, double that of China and nine times larger than India, the world’s first and third largest emitters, respectively.

The country ranked third in the world for fossil exports in 2021, behind only Russia and the US. In 2022, it accounted for 52% of global metallurgical coal exports and 17% of global thermal coal exports.

Coal, the cheapest and dirtiest fossil fuel, is the single-largest source of carbon emissions, responsible for over 0.3C of the 1.2C increase in global average temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. It is also a major contributor to air pollution. 

Every year between 2015 and 2020, it also added 62 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity and has continued to sanction new large-scale projects in 2021 and 2022, according to the report. By 2035, Australia’s exports are projected to add 15 billion tonnes to the cumulative CO2 emissions its export sector generated since 1961, bringing the total to 45 billion tonnes.

‘Off Track’

Countries at last year’s COP28 summit pledged to “transition away” from planet-warming fossil fuels, the single-largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are the primary drivers of global warming as they trap heat in the atmosphere, raising Earth’s surface temperature.

Global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled in the last 50 years, as countries around the world aim to improve their standards of living and economic output. In 2023, all three of the most potent GHGs – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide – reached record highs.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has urged countries to halt new gas and oil field projects, arguing that this is the only way to keep the 1.5C-compatible net-zero emissions scenario alive. However, Australia seems to go in the opposite direction.

“Australia has a responsibility not just to its own consumers of energy, but to the world,” the report read.

In April, Climatologist Zeke Hausfather said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “the ship has largely sailed on limiting warming to 1.5C at this point.” The comment refers to the most recent data on the planet’s remaining carbon budget, which suggested we had only 210 GtCO2 remaining at the start of 2024. Carbon budget refers the net amount of CO2 we have left to emit before we exceed our desired global temperature increases.

According to the report, Australia’s projected fossil fuel exports between now and 2035 would consume around 7.5% of the remaining carbon budget and around 9.1% considering Australia’s total
carbon footprint.

In 2015, 195 governments signed the Paris Agreement, setting the threshold for global average temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. But recent developments indicate that, for a 66% chance of meeting the Paris target, we would need to slash emissions from current levels to zero by 2030 or by 2035 for a 50% chance.

“It’s possible to expand the remaining carbon budget by removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than we emit, but even then it’s hard to come up with a plausible 1.5C scenario without overshoot and decline,” Hausfather said.

A recent exclusive survey conducted by the Guardian revealed that the 1.5C goal is increasingly out of reach, with nearly half of all lead authors and review editors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports since 2018 saying they believe humanity will breach the threshold. Of the 380 authors and editors interviewed by the Guardian, 132 (34.7%) expect global temperatures to rise by 2.5C this century, while 100 (26.3%) predict at least 3C of warming.

Among the scientists participating in the survey was Ruth Cerezo-Mota, an expert in climate modelling at the National Autonomous University of Mexico who said a 3C scenario is a “hopeful and conservative” estimate.

“There is not any clear sign from any government that we are actually going to stay under 1.5C,” she told the Guardian.

It is undeniable that the climate crisis and land-use changes are worsening wildfires around the world. According to the United Nations, extreme fire events are set to increase by about 50% by the end of the century, with the Western US, northern Siberia, central India, and eastern Australia already experiencing significantly more blazes compared to just a few decades ago. Here is a list of the top 12 largest wildfires in history and the damage they caused to biodiversity, ecosystems, and urban settlements.

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Top 13 Largest Wildfires in History

1. 2003 Siberian Taiga Fires (Russia) – 55 Million Acres

In 2003 – during one of the hottest summers Europe experienced up to that point – a series of extremely devastating blazes in the taiga forests of Eastern Siberia destroyed over 55 million acres (22 million hectares) of land. A combination of extremely arid conditions and increased human exploitation during recent decades are believed to have played a role in what is remembered as one of the most devastating and largest wildfires in human history. The fires spread across Siberia and the Russian Far East, northern China, and northern Mongolia, sending a plume of smoke that reached Kyoto thousands of miles away. Emissions from the Siberian Taiga fires can be compared to the emission cuts promised by the European Union under the Kyoto Protocol and their effects can still be seen in present-day environmental studies on ozone depletion.

2. 2019/2020 Australian Bushfires (Australia) – 42 Million Acres

The 2020 Australian bushfires went down in history for their catastrophic impact on wildlife. The ​​extreme bushfires tore through New South Wales and Queensland in southeastern Australia, burning 42 million acres, destroying thousands of buildings, and killing dozens of people as well as 3 billion animals, including a staggering 61,000 koalas. Australia experienced the hottest and driest year in its recorded history in late 2019 and early 2020, which was a major contributing factor to the devastating wildfires.

Data released by the climate monitoring body show Australia’s mean temperature in 2019 was 1.52C higher than average, making it the warmest year since records began in 1910; January 2019 was the warmest month Australia has ever recorded. Rainfall was 40% below average, its lowest level since 1900.

You might also like: 3 Things to Know About Australia Wildfires and Bushfires

3. 2014 Northwest Territories Fires (Canada) – 8.5 Million Acres

In the summer of 2014, over 150 separate fires broke out across the Northwest Territories, an area of about 442 square miles (1.1 billion square kilometres) in northern Canada. 13 of them were believed to have been caused by humans. The smokes they generated sparked air quality warnings across the whole country as well as in the US, with smoke visible as far away as Portugal in western Europe. A total of nearly 8.5 million acres (3.5 million hectares) of forest were completely destroyed and firefighters operations cost the government a staggering US$44.4 million. These devastating consequences made the Northwest Territories Fires one of the worst recorded in nearly three decades.

4. 2004 Alaska Fire Season (US) – 6.6 Million Acres

The 2004 fire season in Alaska was the worst on record  in the history of the US state of Alaska in terms of area burned. More than 6.6 million acres (2.6 million hectares) of land were burned by 701 fires. 215 of these were started by lightning strikes; the other 426 were started by humans. The summer of 2004 was extremely warm and wet in comparison to the typical interior Alaska summer climate, which resulted in record amounts of lighting strikes. After months of this lighting and increased temperatures, an uncharacteristically dry August resulted in the fires that continued through September.

You might also like: 10 Interesting Facts About Wildfires

5. 1939 Black Friday Bushfire (Australia) – 5 Million Acres

Gone down in history as Black Friday, the bushfires that destroyed more than 5 million acres in Victoria – a state in southeastern Australia – in 1939, were the culmination of several years’ drought, followed by high temperatures and strong winds. The fires covered over three-quarters of the state’s area and resulted in 71 casualties, making it the third most deadly bushfire in Australia’s history. Despite going on for several days, on 13 January, when temperatures reached 44.7C in the capital Melbourne and 47.2C in Mildura in the northwest, the fires escalated, claiming 36 lives and destroying more than 700 homes, 69 sawmills as well as several farms and businesses. Ash from the blazes fell as far away as New Zealand.

6. The Great Fire of 1919 (Canada) – 5 Million Acres

Despite happening more than a century ago, the Great Fire of 1919 is still remembered as one of the largest and most devastating wildfires in history. In early May, a complex of many fires swept through the boreal forest of the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The wood that had been cut for the timber industry, combined with strong, dry winds, contributed to the quick-burning flames that, within just a few days, ravaged about 5 million acres (2 million hectares), destroying hundreds of buildings and claiming 11 lives.

7. 1950 Chinchaga Fire (Canada) – 4.2 Million Acres

Also known as the Wisp fire and ‘Fire 19’, the Chinchaga Forest Fire burned in Northern British Columbia and Alberta from June until the early fall of 1950. It went down in history as one of the largest recorded fires in North American history, burning an area of approximately 4.2 million acres (1.7 million hectares). While lowering the impact on buildings and threat to humans, the lack of settlements in the region allowed the fire to burn freely. The massive amount of smoke from the blazes created the historic ‘Great Smoke Pall’, a thick cloud of smoke that obscured the sun for nearly a week, turning it blue and making it visible to the naked eye without discomfort. The phenomenon could be observed for several days across eastern North America and Europe.

You might also like: 15 Largest Wildfires in US History

8. 2010 Bolivia Forest Fires (South America) – 3.7 Million Acres

In August 2010, more than 25,000 fires burned across Bolivia, covering an area of approximately 3.7 million acres (1.5 million hectares) and damaging especially the country’s section of the Amazon. The thick smoke that resulted from them forced the government to halt numerous flights and declare a state of emergency. Among the causes was a combination of fires started by farmers to clear land for planting as well as dry vegetation resulting from the extreme drought that the country experienced during the summer months. The Bolivia forest fires were some of the worst the South American nation experienced in nearly 30 years.

9. 1910 Great Fire of Connecticut (US) – 3 Million Acres

Also called the Big Burn, Big Blowup or the Devil’s Broom fire, this wildfire roared through the states of Idaho and Montana during the summer months of 1910. Despite burning for just two days, strong winds caused the initial fire to combine with other smaller fires to form one massive blaze that destroyed 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) – approximately the size of the entire state of Connecticut – and killed 85 people, making this one of the worst wildfires in US history. Despite being remembered for the destruction it caused, the Fire paved the way for the government to enact forest protection policies. 

10. 1987 Black Dragon Fire (China and Russia) – 2.5 Million Acres

Also known as the Daxing’annling Wildfire, the Black Dragon fire of 1987 may have been the largest single fire in the world in the past several hundred years as well as the deadliest forest fire in the People’s Republic of China. It burned incessantly for over a month, destroying approximately 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of land, 18 million acres of which were forest. While the exact cause is not clear, Chinese reports stated that the fire might have been caused by human action. A total of 191 lives were lost during the fire, with a further 250 left injured. Additionally, nearly 33,000 people were left displaced.

You might also like: The Impact of Wildfires on Biodiversity and the Environment

11. 2011 Richardson Backcountry Fire (Canada) – 1.7 Million Acres

The Richardson Backcountry Fire broke out in May 2011 in the Canadian province of Alberta. It was the largest fire event since the 1950 Chinchaga Fire. The blaze burned nearly 1.7 million acres (688,000 hectares) of boreal forest and resulted in a series of evacuations and shutdowns. According to authorities, the fire was almost certainly the result of human activities, however, extremely dry conditions, abnormally high temperatures, and high winds aggravated the intensity.

12. ​​The 1989 Manitoba Wildfires (Canada) – 1.3 Million Acres

Last on our list of the largest wildfires in history are the Manitoba fires. Between mid-May and early August 1989, a total of 1,147 fires – the highest number ever recorded – broke in Manitoba, a Canadian province home to an immense variety of landscapes, from the arctic tundra and the Hudson Bat coastline to dense boreal forest and large freshwater lakes. The record-breaking fires burned nearly 1.3 million acres (3.3 million hectares) of land, resulting in the evacuation of 24,500 people from 32 different communities. The costs to suppress them amounted to US$52 million. While fires during the summer months are nothing new in Manitoba, the number of fires occurring in 1989 was nearly 4.5 times higher than the 20-year average of 120 monthly fires. While May’s blazes were mostly attributed to human action, most of July’s fires were caused by intense lightning activities.

13. 2024 Texas Wildfires (US) – 1.1 Million Acres

The 2024 Texas wildfires refer to several major fires that broke out in late February 2024 in the US state, including the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County; they are the largest wildfire event in Texas’ history. The Smokehouse Creek Fire alone has burned an estimated 1.1 million acres, surpassing the massive East Amarillo Complex fire in 2006, which scorched almost 1 million acres, and becoming the second-largest and most destructive fire in US history.

This article was first published on September 4, 2022. Research was conducted by Anjella Klaiber.

The mass coral bleaching event, the second in the past decade, comes amid relentlessly rising global sea temperatures.

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At least 53 countries have been experiencing mass bleaching of coral reefs since early 2023 in response to rising ocean temperatures, scientists have confirmed. 

In a joint press release on Monday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) – a partnership of 101 international nations and countries to perverse reefs around the world – confirmed that the world is undergoing its fourth global coral bleaching event, the second in the past ten years.

“From February 2023 to April 2024, significant coral bleaching has been documented in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of each major ocean basin,” said Derek Manzello, coordinator of NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW). Among the 53 regions where coral bleaching has been confirmed so far are Florida, Eastern Tropical Pacific nations including Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, and Australia. 

Rising Temperatures

The event is directly related to rising sea surface temperatures, which last month reached a new record high of 21.07C, the highest monthly value since records began.

Seas warmed last year in response to the return of El Niño, a weather pattern associated with the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. However, the trend has continued well into 2024, despite signs that El Niño is gradually weakening.

“We had seen El Niño conditions before, so we expected higher surface temperatures because the Pacific ocean releases heat. But what happened in 2023 was nothing close to 2016, the second-warmest year on record. It was beyond anything we expected and no climate models can reproduce what happened. And then 2024 starts, and it gets even warmer. We cannot explain these [trends] yet and it makes scientists that work on Earth resilience like myself very nervous,” Professor Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told Earth.Org in a recent interview.

Disappearing Ecosystems

Coral reefs are extremely important ecosystems that exist in more than 100 countries and territories and support at least 25% of marine species; they are integral to sustaining Earth’s vast and interconnected web of marine biodiversity and provide ecosystem services valued up to $9.9 trillion annually. They are sometimes referred to as “rainforests of the sea” for their ability to act as carbon sinks by absorbing the excess carbon dioxide in the water. 

Unfortunately, reefs are disappearing at an alarming pace. According to the most recent report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the world has lost approximately 14% of corals since 2009. 

While coral bleaching can be a natural process that occurs due to rising oceans temperatures in the summer months or during natural weather phenomena such as El Niño, a rise in marine heatwaves linked to human activities has led to more frequent and larger bleaching events globally.

One of the best examples of coral bleaching is the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest and longest reef system located off the coast of Queensland, Australia; it covers about 350,000 square kilometres – an area that is larger than the UK and Ireland combined. The stunning coral reef system has already suffered six mass bleaching events in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2024. The events in 2016 and 2017 were so severe that they led to the death of 50% of the iconic reef.

Aside from Australia, coral death has been particularly pronounced in regions such as South Asia, the Pacific, East Asia, the Western Indian Ocean, The Gulf, and Gulf of Oman.

More on the topic: Australia Confirms ‘Widespread’ Bleaching Event Across Great Barrier Reef, Blames Rising Ocean Temperatures

While a coral bleaching event does not automatically result in corals’ death, they increase these ecosystems’ vulnerability to marine disease and starvation, which could eventually lead to mortality. The longer corals are bleached under various stresses, the more difficult it will be for algae to return.

“As the world’s oceans continue to warm, coral bleaching is becoming more frequent and severe,” Manzello said. “When these events are sufficiently severe or prolonged, they can cause coral mortality, which can negatively impact the goods and services coral reefs provide that people depend on for their livelihoods.”

The latest data should be a wake-up call for countries and requires an immediate response on a global, regional, and local level, NOAA and ICRI said in Monday’s press release.

“We are on the frontlines of coral reef research, management, and restoration, and are actively and aggressively implementing the recommendations of the 2019 Interventions Report,” said Jennifer Koss, director of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP).

Featured image: Underwater Earth / XL Catlin Seaview Survey / Christophe Bailhache..

In an update issued on Friday, the Great Barrier Reef Authority said heat stress from climate change-driven rising ocean temperatures is responsible for the “unfolding bleaching event. 

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Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, is in the grip of a mass coral bleaching event, the fifth in eight years, the marine park authority has confirmed. 

In an update on the reef’s health issued on Friday, the authority said that aerial surveys on over 300 inshore, midshelf, and offshore reefs confirmed that “widespread, often called mass, coral bleaching event is unfolding across the Great Barrier Reef,” which covers an area of about 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 square miles) – larger than the UK and Ireland combined – off the coast of Queensland.  

Coral bleaching occurs as a heat stress response from rising ocean temperatures, which drives algae away from coral reefs, causing reefs to lose their vibrant colours. Recent large-scale marine heatwaves have led to more frequent and severe mass bleaching events around the world, with reefs’ natural recovery processes struggling to keep up. Indeed, while a bleaching event is not directly linked to corals’ death, more frequent and intense heat stresses make corals more vulnerable to diseases, slowing down their recovery and limiting their ability to spawn.

“Aerial surveys of the Reef have revealed prevalent shallow water coral bleaching on most surveyed reefs and results are consistent with patterns of heat stress that has built up over summer,” the update read. 

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sea surface temperatures have been “persistently and unusually high” since May of last year. While this was partly due to the return of El Niño last year, heat-trapping greenhouse gases remain “unequivocally the main culprit,” as oceans absorb more than 90% of the extra heat in the planet’s climate system that results from human-made global warming.

The reef has already undergone six mass bleaching events, four of which happened in the past eight years. The events in 2016 and 2017 were so severe that they cost the death of 50% of Australia’s iconic reef, the world’s largest and longest system, home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusk.

“Although bleaching is becoming more and more frequent, this is not normal,” said Lissa Schindler, a campaign manager with the Australian Marine Conservation Society, following the mass bleaching event of 2022. “We should not accept that this is the way things are. We need to break the norms that are breaking our reef.”

In Friday’s statement, the marine park authority said it will continue conducting broadscale aerial surveys in the coming weeks to determine the extent of bleaching in the region and provide a more comprehensive assessment of the reef’s health.

But Australia’s reef is not the only one at risk from rising ocean temperatures. Last week, the coordinator of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch Derek Manzello said it was likely that the entire Southern Hemisphere would experience bleaching this year.

“We are literally sitting on the cusp of the worst bleaching event in the history of the planet,” the ecologist said.

More on the topic: Record Ocean Temperatures Push Coral Reefs to Brink of Fourth Mass Bleaching Event

Australia is home to some of the world’s most unique and rare animal species. However, since European settlements in 1788, the country has experienced widespread habitat destruction and degradation, and the introduction of non-native predators such as cats and foxes, causing more than 100 endemic species to go extinct over the past 200 years. According to a recent study, Australia’s wildlife has also experienced unprecedented losses, with 202 new animal and plant species making the list of threatened species between 2016 and 2021. Many more animals are currently threatened or at risk of extinction as urban development and bushfire events persist. Here are 10 endangered species in Australia that are in dire need of protection.

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Most Endangered Species in Australia

1. Koala

Undoubtedly the most iconic animal species in Australia, koalas unfortunately have been hit hard in recent years due to a combination of factors including severe bushfires and droughts, and persistent habitat loss from land clearing. As koalas are arboreal, meaning that they spend most of their lives in trees, losing forest land critically impacts the survival of the species. Within the past three years, the koala population has plummeted down from eight million to 32,000 with many experts fearing that the marsupial will go extinct very soon. Every region across Australia saw a decline in population with zero evidence of any upward trends. In some areas, the loss has led to only five to 10 koalas remaining. 

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2. Mountain Pygmy-possum

One of the starkest examples of a species facing extinction due to climate change, the Mountain Pygmy-possum is a tiny mammal no larger than a mice that are only found in the snowy mountain tops in Victoria and New South Wales. The marsupial goes through a prolonged hibernation over winter of up to seven months under two to four metres of snow. With rising temperatures, the length of time snow stays on mountain tops are lessened, shortening the possum’s hibernation period and impacting its food foraging activities. Along with added impacts from the 2019-2020 summer bushfires, losing critical habitats as a result, the species is highly vulnerable with only about 2,000 individuals left in the wild. 

3. Long-footed Potoroo

This small kangaroo-like marsupial can mostly be found in southeast Victoria and up across the border with New South Wales. Much like significant portions of wildlife in Australia, the long-footed Potoroo was severely impacted by the 2019-2020 bushfires, and lost much of its range and habitats. However, the animal has played a crucial role in the recovery of burnt areas, dispersing the spores of a fungi in its droppings that helps re-establish plant life in the affected areas. The Potoroo remains listed as Endangered in both the states of Victoria and New South Wales, as well by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Estimates place less than 2,500 individuals left in the wild and the species’ population continues to decline and fragmented from other factors like timbering and predators. 

Photo: Dash Huang/Flickr

4. Greater Glider

With soft toy-like bushy ears and tail, the Greater Glider is a nocturnal animal that travels the highest parts of the forest canopy across Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria at night while denning in hollowed trees by day. Recent bushfires have destroyed the majority of its critical habitats while logging activities in the country saw its population drop by 80% within the last 20 years. Though the species is currently listed as vulnerable, experts predict they will likely become endangered in the next five years as land clearing and other destructive practices for urban development continue. 

5. Numbat

Also known as the banded anteater, the Numbat exclusively feed on termites – up to 20,000 every day – with its long sticky tongue. Land clearing, habitat loss and predation by feral predators such as cats, foxes, dingoes and birds of prey have driven the species to lose 99% of its historical range by the 1970s, pushing the animal to be endangered as a result. There are two naturally occurring populations remaining in the southwestern portion of Western Australia. While other populations have been reintroduced in New South Wales and South Australia, there are still only less than 1,000 individuals left in total in the country. 

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6. Regent Honeyeater

As its name suggests, the Regent Honeyeater feeds primarily on nectar from a small number of eucalypt plant species and other plant sugars. These birds play a crucial role as pollinators for many flowering plants. They can mainly be found in eucalypt forests and woodlands but land clearing, fragmentation and degradation of its natural habitats as well as competition for nectar from larger, more aggressive honeyeaters have driven its population to drop by more than 80% within three generations. The honeyeater is now listed as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 with only just 300 individuals remaining in the wild. The species has become so threatened that scientists have found that it has started to lose its bird’s song. 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

7. Orange-bellied Parrot

One of only three migratory parrot species in the world, the Orange-bellied Parrot migrates from Tasmania to coastal Victoria and South Australia to spend autumn and winter every year. While habitat loss and degradation are contributing factors, increased predators and noxious weeds as well as disease in their breeding region have all pushed the bird species to the brink of extinction – some estimates within three to five years – with only up to 50 mature individuals remaining. The lack of female parrots in the wild also makes it difficult to help with species recovery. 

8. Eastern Quoll 

The Eastern Quoll was once found throughout south-east Australia and has disappeared from the mainland Australian for more than half century due to disease, predation by foxes, feral cats and domestic dogs, poisoning and persecution. Today, they can only be found in Tasmania. This nocturnal catlike carnivorous marsupial not only hunts for invertebrates such as spiders, cockroaches and grasshoppers but also rabbits, mice and rats, acting as natural pest control and helping maintain the ecosystem. Other threats such as vehicle collision and trappings in some areas continue to hinder conservation efforts. 

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9. Eastern Curlew

The Eastern Curlew is the largest shorebird in the world where it uses its impressive bill to dig through mud for crabs and molluscs. Wetland destruction and alteration to the chain of coastal wetlands along their migratory path, which have been degraded by urban development, flood mitigation, agriculture and pollution, have caused its population to plummet by more than 80% in the last 40 years, and is now critically endangered species in Australia. Additionally, the shorebird is also impacted by bycatch in fishing nets, disturbance of nest sites and degradation of coastal mudflats.

10. Woylie

Once widespread throughout Australia, this rabbit-sized marsupial has been threatened by the introduction of predators of foxes and cats, causing their rapid decline. Disease, competition with rabbits for food and impact from grazing animals from agricultural activities have all contributed to its status as a critically endangered species in Australia. Woylie plays an important role in the desert ecosystem as they disperse fungal spores that help native plants grow. Losing this species could have long-term effects on the larger natural environment. 

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A total of 2,212 ecological communities, plants, and animal species are now threatened with extinction in Australia, owing to climate change and government-backed climate destruction, according to a new report published Monday.

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2023 was another harsh year for Australia’s wildlife, with dozens of new species on the brink of extinction as a result of the destruction of huge swaths of land.

A total of 144 animals, plants, and ecological communities were added to the national list of threatened wildlife last year, the highest number since the list was established in 1999 and five times more than the yearly average, according to a new report monitoring nature destruction in the country. 

Among the newly-listed threatened animal species are 24 reptiles and crustaceans, respectively, 19 fish, 13 birds, six frogs, three insects, and one earthworm. The list also includes 51 new plants and three ecological communities in southwestern and southeastern Australia. 11 species were uplisted, meaning they are now believed to be even closer to extinction.

Government Failure

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), which is behind the analysis, argues that a combination of climate change-fuelled extreme weather events and government-backed habitat destruction, estimated at around 10,426 hectares (25,800 acres) in 2023, are behind the rising number of new threatened species. The country has one of the worst extinction rates in the world, and it is getting worse.

Last year, a report monitoring the state of Australia’s environment suggested that at least 19 of the country’s ecosystems are showing signs of collapse or near collapse due to climate change, invasive species, pollution, and other human interventions.

“The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) is barely monitored, rarely enforced and full of loopholes that allow businesses to destroy nature,” Monday’s report read. Indeed, a previous ACF assessment found that land clearing in the country is often approved without previous evaluations of the potential impacts under national environment laws. Of this unregulated clearing, over 90% is for agricultural land, predominantly for beef production, which injects an estimated $8.4 billion into the Australian economy. But new fossil fuel projects also contribute to deforestation. Last year, the government approved four new gas and new coal projects, respectively, as well as dozens of variations to existing fossil fuel projects under national nature laws.

“Every species that was added to the threatened species list last year deserves protection because every creature and plant plays an important role in sustaining the web of life,” said ACF’s nature campaigner Peta Bulling. “We urge Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to make sure the reform of the national environment law deals with the problem of habitat destruction, which keeps pushing unique and much-loved Australian species towards extinction.”

The Role of Climate Change

Undoubtedly, the rapidly worsening climate crisis is also a huge contributing factor to Australia’s deteriorating wildlife and ecosystems.

In the last five years, the country has experienced record-breaking droughts, bushfires, and floods. The intensity and frequency of these extreme weather events are unprecedented and are set to further rise with increasing global warming, not just in Australia but all over the world, as the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment warned.

Speaking on ABC News on Monday, Bulling explained that a lot of the species added to the list last year were directly impacted by the Black Summer bushfires, a historic wildfire season that affected New South Wales and Queensland in southeastern Australia between 2019 and 2020, burning 42 million acres, destroying thousands of buildings, and killing dozens of people and about 3 billion animals. 

“When we think about it, we know that we’re feeling the impacts of climate change now. These sort of extreme weather events will become more frequent, so we really need to be investing in resilient ecosystems to give them the best chance possible of pushing through this extraordinary period that we’re about to experience,” she said.

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A number of countries held elections this year. New Zealand and Poland voted for new governments in October, and far-right parties won elections in Argentina and the Netherlands in November. The results of these elections have notable impacts on domestic efforts and global cooperation to address climate change and have the potential to shape the future of climate action.

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New Zealand

In New Zealand’s general election, held on October 14, 2023, the centre-right National Party won a plurality of seats in the country’s parliament under the leadership of Christopher Luxon, who officially became Prime Minister in late November.

During the campaign, Luxon committed to New Zealand meeting its climate targets, including the first emissions reduction budget by 2025. As for his government, Luxon said he would bring his climate minister into the cabinet, adding that his government would have no place for climate deniers. However, since his election, Luxon has backtracked on both pledges, as the current climate minister remains outside of the cabinet. Winston Peters, whose New Zealand First Party is a coalition partner for National, espoused climate denial in the lead-up to the election. Peters, now deputy prime minister, previously questioned the “scientific evidence” behind climate change initiatives and said that New Zealand should not have to address emissions that would “bankrupt” the country.

One of the environmental initiatives that National campaigned for was a pledge to spend NZD$257 million (US$161 million) on developing 10,000 electric vehicles (EV) chargers by 2030, almost ten times the current number of EV chargers in the country. In fact, New Zealand currently has the fewest public chargers per EV in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with just one public charger for every 95 EVs. As approximately 20% of New Zealand’s total emissions come from transport, Luxon has previously said that promoting EVs is a “crucial” step to delivering the country’s climate change commitments. During coalition negotiations, the ACT Party gained a concession regarding National’s pledge to expand EV chargers with a clause stating that the chargers be subject to “robust cost benefit analysis” before being introduced.

In addition to the proposed expansion of EV chargers, National has committed to eliminating the Labour Party’s Ute tax and Clean Car Discount Scheme. National has referred to the policies as a “reverse-Robin Hood scheme, taxing hardworking Kiwis for the vehicles they need to subsidise other people to buy new cars.” In response to the proposal, Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Ann Genter criticised National for planning to install more EV chargers whilst making it harder to buy EVs, saying that “the Clean Car Discount has been one of the most successful climate policies Aotearoa has had.”

New Zealand’s new government is also planning to overturn the ban on new oil and gas exploration, which was implemented in 2018. Simon Watts, the country’s current Climate Change Minister, has defended the proposed overturning, saying that “we need the ability to have a degree of fossil fuel energy to power and create electricity in [the] country, particularly in a transitional state.” At the same time, the plan to reinstate new oil and gas exploration has already faced domestic and international backlash. Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Amanda Larsson said that the “new Government’s first official foray on an international stage will result in yet more raised eyebrows, as their policy to bring back offshore oil and gas exploration collides with global calls for a fossil fuel phase out at COP28.” At the Pacific Island Forum in Cook Islands in November 2023, Vanuatu Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu called on New Zealand not to reverse the ban.

Poland

Following Poland’s October 15 parliamentary election, the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS), which has ruled Poland since 2015, emerged as the party with the most seats but not enough to form a government. Whereas PiS has hindered climate action both domestically and in the European Union (EU), many observers anticipate that the coalition between the former opposition parties will be stronger on climate action than the PiS government.

Under the PiS government, Poland has had a mixed record on climate action. From 2018 to 2022, Poland’s electricity producers expanded clean energy capacity by more than 150%, resulting in clean energy currently accounting for 40% of total electricity capacity. Within the same time period, solar energy capacity increased by nearly 20 times and wind energy capacity by almost 40%. Yet, despite the significant increase in renewable energy, more than 70% of Poland’s electricity originates from fossil fuels, especially coal. Out of all the countries in the EU, Poland is the country most dependent on coal; the PiS government did little to change this – in fact, PiS and its partner parties previously pledged to mine coal until 2049.

The three parties encompassing the new government – the centrist Civic Coalition, the centre-right Third Way, and the Left – have pledged to expand clean energy infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions. Former European Council president and newly-elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition is targeting generating 65% of electricity from renewable sources and cutting carbon emissions by 75% by the end of the current decade, though the party has yet to release plans for how they will achieve these goals. The Left supports a faster expansion of renewable energy and pledged to implement “a thorough modernisation” of Poland’s electricity grid. Lastly, Third Way has a short section on climate change in its manifesto and supports greater energy independence. “There is quite a lot of consistency on energy and climate issues within the parties that are likely to form the government. The level of ambition is also high,” said Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera, president of energy think tank Forum Energii, after the election.

With the new government being markedly more pro-EU than the PiS government, Poland may potentially pursue greater cooperation with the rest of the EU on climate action. Last year, state-owned utilities began an advertising campaign that attributed Poland’s high energy prices to EU policy and the EU emissions trading system. In July 2023, the PiS government filed cases with the EU Court of Justice to end EU rules that would modify the carbon market, establish targets to reduce emissions, and ban the sale of carbon dioxide-emitting cars by 2035. In contrast, the incoming government is likely to withdraw this challenge.

While the coalition agrees on the need to combat climate change, a number of domestic factors may hinder the government’s climate goals. One of these challenges is high energy prices. In its party manifesto, Civic Coalition pledged to freeze gas prices at 2023 levels for households and sensitive consumers. Observers also anticipate that the government is unlikely to provoke Poland’s coal unions as there is a risk of them protesting amidst local and European Parliament elections next year.

Argentina

President Javier Milei won the November 19 presidential election runoff and was sworn into office a month later. Milei has been compared to former US President Donald Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro, who, like Milei, have often openly denied climate change. During the campaign season, Milei called climate change a “socialist lie.” He has also said that “all these politicians who blame the human race for climate change are fake and are only looking to raise money to finance socialist bums who write fourth-rate newspapers.”

As part of his efforts to reduce the size of the government, Milei has committed to dissolving Argentina’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. The Environment and Natural Resources Foundation, an Argentine NGO, has called the ministry “a key area for the definition of policies that affect the environment and the quality of life of the population. Beyond the results of its management, it is a necessary institutional instrument.”

The anti-environmentalism sentiment in Argentina is not confined to Milei, but also shared among La Libertad Avanza, Milei’s party. For instance, there was no reference to climate change or renewable energy in La Libertad Avanza’s campaign documents. Other politicians from the same partyhave also expressed controversial views about the environment. MP Bertie Benegas Lynch, for example, said that “the environmental problems can be solved through the distribution of property rights” and that “species extinction occurs every day and is a natural process.”

Although Milei previously planned to withdraw Argentina from the Paris Agreement[M4] , which he regarded as “cultural Marxism,” though he has since reneged on this stance. Argentina’s new climate diplomat Marcia Levaggi, who led the Argentine delegation at COP28, said that she attended the conference “to reassure our party stakeholders and people following the process that Argentina will stay committed to the Paris Agreement.” She noted that Argentina will also maintain its commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

The Netherlands

Nearly one quarter of Dutch voters voted for Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) in the November 22 general election. The election result marked the first time a party calling for an end to the green transition has won a national election in the EU.

Historically, the Netherlands has been perceived as a leader on climate action in Europe. In April, the government introduced a package to reduce carbon emissions by supporting clean energy, sustainable homes and industry, and electric cars. The policies would help the government’s goals for the Netherlands to have carbon free energy generation by 2035 and to attain a climate-neutral and circular economy by 2050. Some of the EU’s most notable climate politicians are Dutch, including EU Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra and his predecessor Frans Timmermans, who also led the Labor-Green alliance to second place in the general election.

Although it remains to be seen if Wilders and the PVV will successfully form a government, the party could nonetheless have a sizable influence on future climate policy. The PVV’s election manifesto states that “the climate is always changing” and that “when conditions change, we adapt… by rising dikes when necessary.” The party also wants to “stop the hysterical reduction of CO2,” which it considers unnecessary and a waste of money. As for proposed actions, the PVV wants to end the Dutch Climate Act, which enshrined the country’s climate targets into law, and, like Argentina, wants to withdraw the Netherlands from the Paris Agreement. The manifesto says that “the Climate Act, the [global] climate accord and all other climate measures will go straight into the shredder.”

While the PVV does want to build more nuclear power plants, the party opposes wind energy and large-scale solar projects. The party also wants to keep coal and gas power plants open and increase oil and gas extraction in the North Sea. With much of the Netherlands under sea level, the PVV recognises that the country faces several threats, including sea level rise, flooding, water scarcity, and droughts, but also believes that those challenges can be addressed by constructing higher dikes and restoring river plains. “We should no longer allow ourselves to be frightened. The Netherlands is a smart country: we have the best water engineers in the world,” the party’s manifesto states.

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Environmentalists have expressed concern over what Wilders’ climate denial could mean for domestic and EU climate action. Greenpeace campaigner Meike Rijksen noted that the implementation of the EU’s Green Deal and Fit for 55 climate policies could be hindered by climate denial. “We do see this trend of populist, far right political parties on the rise. And…we’re worried by that because they often are climate deniers. They’re not telling the truth. And that’s…very unhelpful in this crucial decade for climate action,” Rijksen said.

Others are less pessimistic about the future of Dutch climate action, with several observers noting that Wilders may limit parts of his proposals to form a coalition with other parties. Professor Heleen de Coninck from the Eindhoven University of Technology said that “for many of its proposals, the party will not find a majority at all in parliament” because “there was an easy majority for the climate law in parliament and that has not changed.” Managing director of energy consultancy Common Futures Kees van der Leun echoed this sentiment. “The election outcome isn’t likely to significantly slow down our climate policies” and that most lawmakers support “staying the course,” he said.

Final Thoughts

Although the climate denial espoused by politicians can pose challenges for global efforts to combat climate change, there is still reason to be optimistic about international climate action. There is significant pressure, both domestically and internationally, for countries to continue acting on climate change. The way in which certain governments are structured also serves as a potential check on the implementation of regressive environmental policies.

The results of these elections also reiterate the importance of individuals who care about climate change to be engaged in the political process and to consider climate change and other environmental issues when deciding who to vote for. By demonstrating their interest for the environment through their vote, citizens can hold governments accountable to maintaining and pursuing climate action.