A one-stop source for following global trends in climate policy protests since 2022.
Carnegie’s Climate Protest Tracker identifies episodes of mass activism relating to climate policy around the world since 2022. Building on Carnegie’s existing protest research, the Climate Protest Tracker aggregates key climate-related protests around the world and presents their objectives, participants, and outcomes. Designed for researchers, decisionmakers, and journalists, this resource helps illustrate how demands around climate policy are spurring civic action.
The country/countries in which the protest took place.
Protest NameProtests’ commonly used name, if any (for example, the Global Climate Strike), or an abbreviated description of the protests.
Start DatePresents the month(s) in which the protest took place.
Peak SizeAn estimate, based on media reports, of the peak protest attendance.
Identifies groups that played a notable role in the protest.
ObjectivesSummarizes protesters’ reason(s) for protesting.
Significant OutcomesWhere applicable, identifies notable material outcomes (such as the closure of a coal power plant or consequences from a blockade), notable statements (like commitments from government or corporate actors), or policy changes (such as introducing new legislation or reforming current laws).
This tracker focuses on mass action relating to climate, and thus does not include many of the smaller-scale mobilizations that attract significant attention. It also is grounded in English-language sources and may consequently not include protests not widely discussed in English-language media.
Protest SizeReliable and accurate information on the number of protesters is not always available. In many cases, the only sources of information on a protest’s size are local authorities, who often underestimate the size of protests, or protest organizers, who may overestimate the size of protests. The estimate in this field reflects a best estimate of protest attendance.
The criteria for inclusion in this tracker is that a protest must be an episode of mass action around climate policy that registers in national or international sociopolitical life. As such, the tracker’s editors must determine what relates to “climate policy.” The editors have generally viewed any action either calling for more aggressive climate action or criticizing existing climate approaches—whether aimed at a government, corporation, or any other group—as falling under this definition. This also includes protests that might criticize the consequences of an existing climate policy, as in various protests around farm emissions restrictions. Additionally, this tracker may exclude protests that relate to climate change (for example, protests about water shortages), but that are not framed primarily in terms of climate policy.
Reliance on English-language sourcesData for this tracker are drawn from English-language news sources.
The data in this tracker are drawn from major English-language, French-language, and Mandarin-Chinese language international media outlets. Publications and television outlets used to compile this data include (but are not limited to) Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, DW News, the Economist, Euronews, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, France24, the Guardian, the Nation, NBC News, the New York Times, NPR, Reuters, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Vox, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.
| Country | Protest Name | Start Date | Peak Size | Key Participants | Objectives | Significant Outcomes |
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