From Climate Crisis to Fascism? An Empirical Examination of Ecofascism in the UK

Could the acceleration of the climate crisis create an opening for ecofascist politics? In this study we refine theoretically our understanding of ecofascism, acknowledging the inherently offensive, expansionist logic of fascism represented in the Volk, Kampf, Lebensraum triad. We then use representative survey experiment data from 1,967 UK residents to examine how susceptible the electorate is to such ecofascist ideas and whether exposure to climate change threat makes them more susceptible. Findings indicate that approximately one-fifth of the UK population is susceptible to an ecofascist ideology rooted in Volk, Kampf and Lebensraum. A sense of climate despair and anomie stemming from climate change threats, combined with predispositions toward social dominance and authoritarianism, and a conflicted relationship with nature, increases susceptibility to ecofascism significantly. We conclude by emphasising that this susceptibility could be exploited by right-wing actors in the future and the necessity to develop progressive responses to climate change threat.