Qualitative analysis uncovers populist rhetoric opposing climate policy in freedom movement groups, highlighting the need for tangible policy benefits to counter conspiracism.
As the climate crisis intensifies, the forces arrayed against climate action are changing. Elements of the “freedom movement,” initially mobilized against COVID-19 measures, now oppose climate policy. We find that groups in this “anticlimate freedom movement” use populist rhetoric to position themselves as the voice of the people fighting the elite. We analyze this movement in the context of subsidized publics, fossil fascism, and ecofascism. Countering this movement requires broad coalitions advancing climate policies that deliver tangible benefits.
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Stuart et al. (2026) studied this question.
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