Department of Politics and International Relations
- Politics and International Relations
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- Climate Policy and Political Parties
Climate Policy and Political Parties
Despite the scientific and economic arguments in favour of radical action to mitigate climate change, the policy responses of most governments have not yet matched the scale and urgency of the problem. The major political parties that dominate government and opposition in Western Europe democracies have generally been reluctant to prioritise climate issues. Yet there is evidence that if parties do start to compete to be the 'greenest' party, then governments will be more likely to adopt progressive environmental policies. So the role of parties is crucial, yet we know very little about how parties formulate their positions in climate change.
The broad aim of this project is to understand and explain the way mainstream political parties in Western Europe develop their positions on climate policy. It will identify the key factors that influence whether or not mainstream parties are willing to embrace climate issues. It will examine the impact on party policy development of domestic factors, including internal party politics, environmental and business interests and energy prices, and external factors, notably European Union legislation but also international commitments, such as the Kyoto Protocol.
Prof Neil Carter is a co-investigator on this ESRC funded project which is led by Prof Robert Ladrech (Keele).
Research Starts: 01/07/2013
Research Ends: 30/06/2015
