Explaining the absence of climate change integration in low-carbon sectoral policies: An analysis of Brazil’s maritime cabotage policy

Abstract

Although maritime cabotage emits comparatively less CO2 per tonne kilometre than other means of transportation, the potential contribution of Brazil’s cabotage policy toward tackling climate change remained largely unexplored throughout its legislative process. Hence, to gather insights into how climate change can be integrated into sectoral policies, we apply Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to analyse the forces at work in the policy process of this statute, a piece of legislation encouraging maritime cabotage development and attempting to shift cargo away from roads. Based on data from 259 newspaper articles and ten semi-structured interviews, this study finds that a policy window was opened by the emergence of a problem – overreliance on road transport – a key event – truck drivers’ strike – and changes in the administration. The Minister of Infrastructure seized this window, proposing a policy and pushing for its approval until it became law. Through MSF, this study also identifies missed opportunities to integrate climate change concerns into the problem, policy, and political streams of this policy process, highlighting a novel contribution to the application of Kingdon’s framework in climate-related sectoral policies. This article concludes with recommendations for climate policy actors.