Backlash to Climate Policy: Causes, Responses, Needs (POLICY BRIEF)

Climate policy can be fiercely contested by citizens, industry, and politicians when it is proposed and even after it is formally adopted. This can make it hard to know how best to advance ambitious climate policy without risking political backlash. Experience suggests that multiple factors can play a role in driving backlash. Furthermore, new approaches being taken in some countries offer valuable insights into what can make climate policy work. But more steps are likely to be needed as climate ambition and urgency increases.