This year, voters in five major carbon-emitting regions — the United States, India, Indonesia, Russia, and the European Union — will cast their ballots, holding significant implications for global climate action.

Nature has published a piece summarizing the main policy challenges from these territories. The United States, India, Indonesia, Russia, and the European Union collectively account for one-third of the world’s population and carbon emissions, making the outcomes of their elections pivotal in determining the trajectory of climate change mitigation efforts.

The political direction set by these elections will play a critical role in steering humanity’s response to the pressing challenge of climate change. Current projections indicate that existing climate policies are insufficient, leading to a projected warming of about 2.7°C by 2100, far exceeding the ambitious target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C outlined in the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.

Climate Action Tracker, a monitoring group for global climate commitments, overlooks the urgency of transformative action to curb emissions and avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. The decisions made by leaders elected in the United States, India, Indonesia, Russia, and the European Union will shape the policies and strategies adopted to address climate change for decades to come.

“Long-term climate commitments could prevent another 0.6 °C of warming, but those depend on further action by governments, including many whose leaders are up for election in 2024. It could be a pivotal year”, the Nature article said.