From Environmental Protection to Climate Justice: Democracy, Internationalisation and the Environment

This thesis investigates the impact internationalisation has on environmental politics. Increases in the prevalence of environmental issues in politics have occurred across countries as internationalisation has intensified, yet most explanations for this focus on domestic factors. Investigating political parties across 34 countries over six decades, this thesis assesses the extent to which parties prioritise environmental issues in their election manifestos. It reveals that internationalisation contributes to parties paying more attention to environmental issues, demonstrating the relevance of external forces, and revealing that internationalisation might lead to more responsible and just forms of international cooperation and action on environmental crises.