Democracy’s Essential Role in Addressing Climate Change

In the shadow of America’s democratic crisis, another critical challenge looms with far-reaching consequences—the persistent stalling of meaningful climate action. While public attention has largely focused on threats to democracy, these twin crises share deep, intertwined roots that demand equal scrutiny.

The connection between America’s climate inaction and democratic deterioration isn’t coincidental. Both crises stem from the same systemic problems and reinforce each other in a troubling cycle that undermines public will and planetary health.

Corporate influence through lobbying and campaign finance stands as perhaps the most potent link. The fossil fuel industry leads this charge with staggering financial power. In 2022 alone, energy giants like Exxon Mobil and Shell spent $124.4 million on lobbying efforts. The Republican-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund received nearly $1 million from oil and gas companies in 2023, while the Republican Attorney General Association collected approximately $6 million from the same sector between 2020 and 2024.

Individual fossil fuel executives have similarly flexed their financial muscles in politics. Kelcy Warren, whose company developed the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, contributed roughly $18 million across Donald Trump’s three presidential campaigns. Timothy Dunn, CEO of one of America’s largest oil companies, donated $5 million to Trump-backed Super PACs in 2024 alone.

This concentrated financial influence directly counteracts public sentiment. Polling consistently shows that over half of Americans favor transitioning to clean energy, with even young Republicans supporting climate investments. Yet policy progress remains minimal, stymied by a campaign finance system that amplifies corporate voices over voter preferences.

Disinformation campaigns represent another shared challenge undermining both climate progress and democratic function. False narratives have significantly impacted recent elections, with fabricated stories about immigrants eating pets and receiving preferential disaster relief swaying voter perceptions in 2024.

The climate conversation suffers from similar manipulation. A comprehensive meta-study by the International Panel on the Information Environment documented how corporations, conservative politicians, and even governments have propagated climate misinformation. Trump himself has called climate science “a giant hoax” and “bullshit,” while investigations have revealed that companies like Exxon Mobil orchestrated decades-long disinformation campaigns to prevent climate action.

These disinformation efforts exploit and deepen a trust deficit in American society. A 2025 Partnership for Public Service survey found just one-third of Americans trust the federal government. This erosion of institutional trust creates fertile ground for climate skepticism, as Pew Research Center findings indicate many Americans grow suspicious of what they perceive as “alarmist” climate messaging, believing advocates harbor hidden agendas.

The problem intensifies with technological developments like generative AI, which can rapidly produce and distribute misleading information without adequate fact-checking mechanisms, further confusing public understanding of both democratic processes and climate realities.

The consequences of these interconnected crises fall disproportionately on marginalized communities. Climate change impacts hit hardest in communities of color, low-income neighborhoods, and vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, and coastal residents. These same communities often lack resources for climate adaptation and recovery.

Not coincidentally, these populations face systematic disenfranchisement in our democracy. Laws preventing people with felony convictions from voting, combined with discriminatory mass incarceration practices that disproportionately affect Black Americans, exclude many citizens from democratic participation. The result is a perverse system where those most harmed by climate change have the least political power to address it.

Recent policy decisions highlight this disturbing pattern. While controversial immigration enforcement actions have dominated headlines, less attention went to Congress’s January revocation of a 20-year mining moratorium in Minnesota’s ecologically sensitive Boundary Waters region—a move with significant environmental implications.

Recognizing the shared roots of these crises provides a pathway forward. By understanding how corporate influence, disinformation, eroding trust, and systemic disenfranchisement simultaneously undermine climate action and democratic function, advocates can build broader coalitions addressing both issues. The challenges are formidable, but addressing these fundamental problems is essential for creating a more just, sustainable, and truly democratic society.