Environmental Issues in Recent British and Canadian Elections

Abstract

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN RECENT BRITISH AND CANADIAN ELECTIONS               The 2019 elections in Britain and Canada illustrate the difficulties in communication between a concerned public and prospective office-holders on the most critical set of issues of our times.  An increased level of public awareness and concern about the state of the environment has been expressed in public opinion polls, social movement activity has increased, and Green parties have expanded their appeal.  Despite these developments in recent years, environmental issues have not been able to exert a major impact on individual voting behaviour in elections, or on overall election outcomes.  Issues related to the environment are usually treated, by both politicians and the public, in valence terms.  Valence issues are ones upon which there is broad consensus about the goals of public policy, and political debate focuses not on "what to accomplish" but rather on "how to do it" and "who is best able."  Regarding the environment, general formulations like global warming and climate change prompt politicians to offer concerned rhetoric and engage in virtue signaling, but specific policy proposals are often absent.                 This paper examines four reasons why environmental/climate change issues did not have a major impact on the 2019 Canadian and British elections. First, environmental concern in society at large was imperfectly translated into election issues.  Second, the major political parties produced inadequate and unconvincing environmental manifestos.  Third, environmental issues were not central to most voting decisions. Fourth, environmental issues had limited impacts on election outcomes.