As living costs surge, climate change takes a backseat in elections

KUALA LUMPUR/MANILA/RIO DE JANEIRO: In the seaside town of Palo in the central Philippines, George Christopher Daga has watched torrential rain pour for days during what is supposed to be a hot and dry April - just one of the unusual weather patterns he has faced in recent years.

But Daga - who lost his job as a utility worker during the COVID-19 pandemic - said climate change is not his top concern as Filipinos go to the polls on May 9 to elect a new president. Despite that, as countries from the Philippines to Lebanon and Brazil gear up for elections, climate change has not featured as a major issue. In other places, like France, green parties have not made advances in recent votes.

In Australia, the two main parties contesting the May 21 national elections have said they would continue to support coal exports, despite an increasing majority of Australians supporting a ban on new coal mines and wanting exports cut.Politicians who have shown how they can help people cope with COVID-19-related economic fallout and rising inflation have proved popular in recent elections, noted climate policy expert Danny Marks.

Marks urged politicians who care about climate change to highlight the immediate benefits of a green shift, such as renewable energy jobs and improvements to public health.

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