Last week our founder wrote on LinkedIn: I have been following climate politics for a long time. I do not think I have ever felt this upset. The response was overwhelming, and one question kept coming back: is the retreat really that widespread, or does it just feel that way?

So we verified it, decision by decision, source by source. The answer: 45 climate policy reversals in one year, across 15 jurisdictions and the global shipping regime. Every one is numbered, labelled and linked to its source in the full article. It is worse than it feels.

And the timing is the story. This was the summer the bill arrived: three heatwaves hit western Europe in three months, the June heatwave cut around 10 million tonnes, roughly 2 billion euros, from European grain forecasts, and one UK analysis counted 24 million lost working hours in a single week. Six of the 45 reversals landed during and right after that heatwave.

These decisions were not made in ignorance of the costs. They were made in the middle of them.

Excerpt: Last week I wrote on LinkedIn: I have been following climate politics for a long time. I do not think I have ever felt this upset. As the climate crisis accelerates, our leaders are not accelerating climate action. They are reversing it.The post resonated far beyond what I expected. And the most common response was a question: is it really that widespread, or does it just feel that way? This article is the answer. I spent the days since verifying every reversal I could find, decision by decision, source by source. It is worse than I wrote.

… The climate crisis is no longer a future cost. It is hitting farmers, workers, businesses and families now.

…

Before, climate policy was far too weak and far too slow, but at least the overall direction was forward. Now, as the consequences become impossible to ignore, the political response is increasingly to weaken even the limited policies already in place. Climate policy is no longer just moving too slowly or getting stuck. In crucial areas, it is moving backwards. That is a profound difference. And honestly, it scares me.

So here is the verified count: 45 policy reversals in one year, numbered below, across 15 jurisdictions and the global shipping regime. Each numbered entry is one distinct policy reversal adopted, announced, proposed, taking legal effect or materially advanced between July 2025 and July 2026, and its status is stated in the entry. Six landed within five weeks this summer, during and right after the heatwave itself. These decisions were not made in ignorance of the costs. They were made in the middle of them.