How Iran's elections are going green

Candidates and voters are talking about the environment like never before, dispelling notions that no-one other than a few enlightened members of the upper classes care about the issue

Alongside his campaign ads, a candidate in Buin Zahra, Qazvin province, has offered voters seeds of native floral species to encourage stewardship and conservation. In the south-western city of Ahwaz, the cutting of two trees to make room for election banners provoked a backlash from activists and residents that prompted the campaign office to condemn those who had slashed the trees.

With the country in the home stretch for the election of Iran's tenth post-Revolutionary parliament on Friday 26 February, the campaign is confounding any scepticism that concern for the environment is the preserve of an enlightened elite. As polling day draws close, public expectation is mounting over candidates' plans to address issues like dwindling water supplies and deteriorating air quality, so marking a break from previous parliamentary elections.