A senior climate negotiator for a European right-wing government said the economic argument was a no-brainer. “Our companies see they can make money from the green transition,” he said. “And the earlier you start the transformation, the bigger a winner you’ll be as a company or a country.”
2. Reduce immigration
Promising to limit immigration — particularly unauthorized border crossings — is a central pillar of right-wing election campaigns. And climate disasters, rising sea levels and worsening droughts are projected to displace hundreds of millions in the coming decades.
The Italian government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of a party rooted in fascism, has seized on the connection between migration and global warming to make the case for funding climate action in Africa and other developing countries.
Italy has plans to expand its economic and energy cooperation with Africa to boost job growth and infrastructure — as well as Rome’s influence on the continent. Notably, the government’s strategy explicitly states that the plan will help give Africans “the right not to be forced to migrate.”
Providing funding is part of that approach. Last year, Italy unexpectedly contributed €100 million to a new fund for countries hit by climate disasters, and Meloni has set up a €4 billion money pot to finance climate action in developing countries, particularly Africa.
Speaking at the financing-focused COP29, Meloni said that “Italy intends to continue to do its part.”