Does your political party care about the environment?

Why read this story?

Editor's note: Come elections, all environmentally-minded citizens of India begin to think of one question: When everything between the soil and the atmosphere is in a state of degradation and crisis, why don’t politicians fight elections over it? Headlines swing between hope and despair. Sample these: Are environmental issues finally an important part of India’s election discourse? (2018) Will India have its green moment in politics? (2019) Why environmental issues are non-existent in this election (2019) India faces an environmental crisis, but this season’s election coverage is set to ignore it (2021) Uttarakhand Elections 2022: Climate change-induced extreme events not a poll agenda for political parties (2022) As someone who is conscious of the need for climate action and environmental change, you too might have wondered how your vote can make a difference. After all, elected governments hold considerable power over our environment and climate. It is the union government that goes to United Nations climate conferences and pledges support. Its tenders are what are driving India’s solar energy sector. From farming to coal mining, from regulating fish breeding cycles to giving …