Environmental policy integration in Brazil: an analysis of climate and biodiversity policies

Abstract This article debates the importance and the current state of environmental policy integration among the areas of climate change and biodiversity in Brazil. It presents and critically evaluates the theoretical assumption that differences in bureaucratic cultures will necessarily result in policy integration difficulties. Based on the theoretical framework of grid-group cultural theory, it argues that the dominant egalitarian style developed within the context of biodiversity policies diverges, and sometimes hampers integration with climate change policies, which were found to present a predominantly hierarchical approach. Finally, the role of political leadership in overcoming the institutional barriers represented by bureaucratic cultures is also presented as an important factor relativizing and qualifying the predictions of cultural theory.