The far right and global environmental politics

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• GGP: Global Governance Programme

Join Nina Hall as she examines when and why far-right governments engage with international environmental organisations.

The electoral success of far-right parties appears to threaten many international environmental organisations. These parties often question the legitimacy of international institutions and tend to exhibit climate scepticism. Yet, not all far-right parties once in government reject multilateral climate cooperation. In fact, several—including Fratelli d’Italia (Italy), Fidesz (Hungary), and India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—have expressed a commitment to addressing climate change.

This paper investigates variation in how far-right governments engage with global environmental politics. It asks: when and why do countries led by far-right parties participate in—or withdraw from—international environmental organisations and agreements? And how do these governments shape such agreements? Focusing on the United States, Italy, Brazil, and India, the analysis spans three key regimes: climate change, biodiversity, and desertification. The findings suggest that most far-right governments continue to engage in global environmental politics and are not always obstructionist in international negotiations.