Political culture as a determinant of sustainable development: from value orientations to institutional mechanisms

Abstract

The article examines political culture as a key determinant of sustainable development in the context of contemporary global transformations. The purpose of the study is to conceptualize the relationship between political culture and sustainable development, as well as to identify specific mechanisms through which political and cultural factors influence the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 through comparative analysis of climate policies of the European Union and the People's Republic of China. The methodological framework comprises comparative analysis of sustainable development strategies in Western democracies and authoritarian regimes, particularly the European Union and the People's Republic of China, complemented by conceptual analysis of theoretical approaches and contemporary researchers of political culture and sustainability and empirical analysis of concrete climate initiatives of both political systems. The research results demonstrate that political culture influences sustainable development through four interconnected mechanisms: formation of societal value orientations regarding long-term planning and social justice; ensuring effective public participation in sustainable development decision-making processes; creating institutional prerequisites for cross-sectoral coordination and long-term strategic planning; overcoming the limitations of short-term electoral cycles through building societal consensus on the necessity of long-term investments. Empirical analysis of EU and PRC climate policies verifies that democratic systems ensure higher levels of transparency and public participation but face challenges of electoral cycles and lobbying influence from carbon industries, while authoritarian regimes demonstrate capacity for rapid resource mobilization and consistent implementation of long-term strategies at the expense of limiting democratic freedoms and public participation. The study's conclusions verify that effective instruments for overcoming the dilemma between democratic participation and long-term planning include transparent compensation mechanisms for vulnerable groups, targeted enhancement of trust in governmental institutions, strategic mobilization of social movements supporting climate reforms, and institutional reforms to optimize public resource utilization. The study results can inform public policy design in the field of climate governance and sustainability.