Can politicians solve the climate crisis?

Politicians seem to accept the seriousness of the climate crisis, but don't seem to be making any active efforts to change anything tangibly. 

You could argue that global leaders and politicians are in a difficult position. On the one hand, they want to address and change (you would hope) one of, if not the most imminent of threats the world faces today. On the other hand, they need to make decisions that are popular with their party, voters, and funders. It begs the question, "if politicians can't solve the climate crisis, who really can?" It also exposes a worrying truth - politicians may be more inclined to listen to those that are profiting from the climate crisis rather than those who are trying to aid it. 

Votes are essential, so everywhere you turn during an election, somebody will remind you of just how important voting is. It is true if votes demand climate action, then politicians will be encouraged to make promises of courageous action. However, politicians are notoriously full of empty promises. It might even be that they had every intention of trying to reverse the damages and avoid a climate catastrophe - but the real influence on a political party often doesn't come from the voters but from corporations. 

Polls have actually shown that, all around the world, people want their elected leaders to take urgent action on climate change and reduce carbon emissions. Yet, government action has been nothing short of disappointing. 

It's optimistic to believe that, in democracy, leaders should act according to the people that elected them - keeping their promises and reflecting their decisions on them. However, the reality is much more sinister and complex. 

Corporations, the majority of whom are driving forces in climate change, spend a grotesque amount of money on hiring lobbyists. It is these lobbyists who almost bribe politicians into hiring these corporations as industry experts. For this reason, we have fossil fuel firms and banks making the most integral decisions in relation to funding and climate change. 

What change needs to happen?

Obviously, this needs to change - or a change needs to happen. We must demand that our political leaders end their relationships with the corporations at the heart of pollution. Detoxifying our political methods, and removing the financial aspect of the system would make a world of difference.  At the very least, the most destructive and notorious of companies should be removed from any kind of climate talks - they should have zero influence on these discussions. 

Obviously, when politicians are directly serving the people who profit from a climate crisis, there is very little that can actually be achieved regarding climate progress. Changing this would be a massive step. 

However, as we mentioned, businesses play a big part in making the most change in the fight against global warming. This is why we have created climate combos for businesses. We know that changing how political parties run would take a lot of unravelling and unlearning. 

Find out how individuals and businesses alike can help reverse global warming here.