IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i2p1948-1967.html

Current climate action trends in party‐political manifestos: A content analysis provides hints to move forward

Author

Listed:
  • Gonçalo Rodrigues Brás
  • Ana Lillebø
  • Helena Vieira

Abstract

Party manifestos offer valuable insights into evolving climate political agendas, warranting relevant content to understand parties' priorities and approaches to climate resilience. Through a content analysis of Portuguese party manifestos from the 2019, 2022, and 2024 elections, this study aims to address key research questions regarding SDG 13 targets. The results demonstrate a positive trend within SDG 13, albeit predominantly focused on targets 13.1 and 13.2. Left‐wing parties exhibit stronger commitment compared to their right‐wing counterparts, with variations observed based on European affiliations. Across all SDG 13 targets, left‐wing party manifestos consistently covered a broader spectrum of themes compared to their right‐wing counterparts. Green parties exhibit a partial higher commitment relative to the dominant governance parties in Portugal, which is recently governed by a right‐wing coalition. Findings aim to inform and potentiate refinement of climate policy agendas, contributing to future sustainability initiatives in Portugal and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Gonçalo Rodrigues Brás & Ana Lillebø & Helena Vieira, 2025. "Current climate action trends in party‐political manifestos: A content analysis provides hints to move forward," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 1948-1967, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:2:p:1948-1967
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3203
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3203
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3203?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guillermo M. Cejudo & Philipp Trein, 2023. "Pathways to policy integration: a subsystem approach," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 56(1), pages 9-27, March.
    2. Jem Bendell, 2022. "Replacing Sustainable Development: Potential Frameworks for International Cooperation in an Era of Increasing Crises and Disasters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Baiardi, Donatella & Morana, Claudio, 2021. "Climate change awareness: Empirical evidence for the European Union," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    4. Govinda R. Timilsina, 2021. "Financing Climate Change Adaptation: International Initiatives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Kai Schulze, 2021. "Policy Characteristics, Electoral Cycles, and the Partisan Politics of Climate Change," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 21(2), pages 44-72, Spring.
    6. Gugler, Klaus & Haxhimusa, Adhurim & Liebensteiner, Mario, 2021. "Effectiveness of climate policies: Carbon pricing vs. subsidizing renewables," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    7. Bernhard Forchtner, 2019. "Climate change and the far right," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(5), September.
    8. Carlos Bianchi & Camilo Martínez, 2023. "STI policy conventions in Uruguay. An analysis of political party platforms 2004–2019," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 40(2), pages 260-281, March.
    9. Frank Wendler, 2019. "The European Parliament as an Arena and Agent in the Politics of Climate Change: Comparing the External and Internal Dimension," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 327-338.
    10. Maria Cecilia Eduardo & Maria Helena Santos & Ana Lúcia Teixeira, 2023. "Gender and Politics: A Descriptive and Comparative Analysis of the Statutes of Brazilian and Portuguese Political Parties," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, August.
    11. Gabriel Chan & Robert N. Stavins & Ji Zou, 2025. "International Climate Change Policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Economics of Environment, Climate Change, and Wine Selected Papers of Robert N Stavins Volume 3 (2011–2023), chapter 17, pages 443-482, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    12. Maria João Salvador Costa & Alexandra Leitão & Rosa Silva & Vanessa Monteiro & Pedro Melo, 2022. "Climate Change Prevention through Community Actions and Empowerment: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-37, November.
    13. Susanne C. Moser, 2016. "Reflections on climate change communication research and practice in the second decade of the 21st century: what more is there to say?," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(3), pages 345-369, May.
    14. Sara Mehryar & Swenja Surminski, 2021. "National laws for enhancing flood resilience in the context of climate change: potential and shortcomings," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 133-151, February.
    15. Magdalena Bexell & Kristina Jönsson, 2019. "Country Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals—The Politics of Performance Review at the Global-National Nexus," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 403-417, October.
    16. Maya Bogers & Frank Biermann & Agni Kalfagianni & Rakhyun E. Kim, 2023. "The SDGs as integrating force in global governance? Challenges and opportunities," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 157-164, June.
    17. Zuliana Mohd Zabidi & Bambang Sumintono & Zuraidah Abdullah, 2022. "Enhancing analytic rigor in qualitative analysis: developing and testing code scheme using Many Facet Rasch Model," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 713-727, April.
    18. James Patterson & Carina Wyborn & Linda Westman & Marie Claire Brisbois & Manjana Milkoreit & Dhanasree Jayaram, 2021. "The political effects of emergency frames in sustainability," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(10), pages 841-850, October.
    19. Frank Wendler, 2019. "The European Parliament as an Arena and Agent in the Politics of Climate Change: Comparing the External and Internal Dimension," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 327-338.
    20. Abril Cid & Amy M. Lerner, 2023. "Local governments as key agents in climate change adaptation: challenges and opportunities for institutional capacity-building in Mexico," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 649-661, May.
    21. Nate Kauffman & Kristina Hill, 2021. "Climate Change, Adaptation Planning and Institutional Integration: A Literature Review and Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-28, September.
    22. Kai Jäger, 2017. "Economic Freedom in the Early 21st Century: Government Ideology Still Matters," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(2), pages 256-277, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gonçalo Rodrigues Brás & Ana Isabel Lillebø & Helena Vieira, 2025. "Holding Sustainability Promises in Politics: Trends in Ecosystem and Resource Management in Electoral Party Manifestos," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-38, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gonçalo Rodrigues Brás & Ana Isabel Lillebø & Helena Vieira, 2025. "Holding Sustainability Promises in Politics: Trends in Ecosystem and Resource Management in Electoral Party Manifestos," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-38, July.
    2. Christine Neuhold & Guri Rosén, 2019. "Introduction to “Out of the Shadows, Into the Limelight: Parliaments and Politicisation”," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 220-226.
    3. Anna-Lena Högenauer, 2021. "Scrutiny or Complacency? Banking Union in the Bundestag and the Assemblée Nationale," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 219-229.
    4. Brännlund, Anton & Peterson, Lauri, 2024. "Power politics: How electric grievances shape election outcomes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    5. Shiri Shinan-Altman & Yaira Hamama-Raz, 2023. "The Association between Climate Change Exposure and Climate Change Worry among Israeli Adults: The Interplay of Risk Appraisal, Collective Efficacy, Age, and Gender," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Chan Kuan Loong & Abdul Jalil Mohamad & Mohd Syafiq bin Zainuddin & Navindran a/l Ramanujan & Ikmal Hisham bin Mat Idera, 2025. "Raters' Rating Quality in Assessing Students' Assignment: An Application of Multi-Facet Rasch Measurement," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(10), pages 2330-2342, October.
    7. Xu, Deyi & Sheraz, Muhammad & Hassan, Arshad & Sinha, Avik & Ullah, Saif, 2022. "Financial development, renewable energy and CO2 emission in G7 countries: New evidence from non-linear and asymmetric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    8. James Patterson & Ksenia Anisimova & Jasmin Logg-Scarvell & Cille Kaiser, 2025. "Reactions to policy action: socio-political conditions of backlash to climate change policy," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 58(2), pages 287-320, June.
    9. Zheng, Mingbo & Zhang, Xinyu, 2025. "Digitalization and renewable energy development: Analysis based on cross-country panel data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 319(C).
    10. Le, Thai Hong & Mai, Minh Lam & Nguyen, Mai Quynh Thi & Nguyen, Anh Phuong & Do, Chi Phuong, 2025. "Examining the role of environmental tax, green innovation, and digital financial inclusion for energy transition: Evidence from OECD countries," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1).
    11. Mehryar, Sara & Sasson, Idan & Surminski, Swenja, 2022. "Supporting urban adaptation to climate change: what role can resilience measurement tools play?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113367, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Christos Karelakis & Zacharias Papanikolaou & Christina Keramopoulou & George Theodossiou, 2024. "Green Growth, Green Development and Climate Change Perceptions: Evidence from a Greek Region," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, July.
    13. Sarah Greenham & Robin Workman & Kevin McPherson & Emma Ferranti & Rachel Fisher & Stephen Mills & Roger Street & John Dora & Andrew Quinn & Clive Roberts, 2023. "Are transport networks in low-income countries prepared for climate change? Barriers to preparing for climate change in Africa and South Asia," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(8), pages 1-22, December.
    14. Helm, Carsten & Mier, Mathias, 2021. "Steering the energy transition in a world of intermittent electricity supply: Optimal subsidies and taxes for renewables and storage," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    15. Zhang, Jiekuan, 2023. "Emissions trading scheme and energy consumption and output structure: Evidence from China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(P1).
    16. Saffron O’Neill & Roz Pidcock, 2021. "Introducing the Topical Collection: ‘Climate change communication and the IPCC’," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 1-7, December.
    17. Israel Solorio & Jorge Guzmán & Ixchel Guzmán, 2023. "Participatory decision-making in the policy integration process: indigenous consultation and sustainable development in Mexico," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 56(1), pages 115-140, March.
    18. Anna-Lena Högenauer, 2021. "Scrutiny or Complacency? Banking Union in the Bundestag and the Assemblée Nationale," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 219-229.
    19. Wu, Qingyang & Wang, Yaqi & Shen, Guangjun, 2024. "The green bonus of tax incentives: Evidence from China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    20. Pan, Weijie & Shittu, Ekundayo, 2025. "Assessment of mobility decarbonization with carbon tax policies and electric vehicle incentives in the U.S," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 379(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:2:p:1948-1967. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.