Heartland Institute teams up with far-right European politicians to fight climate policies

A US-based climate denial group, the Heartland Institute, has partnered with European far-right politicians to undermine environmental policies and promote anti-climate action agendas.

Helena Horton, Sam Bright, and Clare Carlile report for The Guardian.

In short:

• The Heartland Institute has collaborated with far-right European MEPs, helping them campaign against European Union environmental laws like the nature restoration law.
• The group has established a European base in London and coordinated with politicians from Austria, Hungary and Poland to oppose renewable energy subsidies and other climate policies.
• Critics warn of a resurgence of climate denialism in Europe fueled by ties between Heartland and European conservatives, potentially derailing climate action.

Key quote:

“It is really bad news to see the Heartland Institute moving to Europe. At this point in time we should be scared that we will see a revival of grotesque climate denialism.”

— Kenneth Haar, Corporate Europe Observatory

Why this matters:

Far-right political figures across Europe have increasingly aligned themselves with groups that question the science of climate change, portraying green policies as elitist or economically harmful. These narratives often exploit public fears about rising energy costs or job security, framing climate regulations as a threat to national sovereignty and individual freedoms. This rhetoric resonates with populist movements, further politicizing an issue that many scientists argue requires global unity and cooperation.

Related: European leaders missing from climate summit signal uncertainty over EU commitment