How party ideology and constituency risk shape MPs’ speeches on climate change

This article examines the impact of party ideology and constituency characteristics on MPs’ speeches on climate change. Rather than treating this issue as a ‘broad umbrella’, the article distinguishes two within-issue categories: Specific Impacts, referring to immediate, local consequences and distributive relief, and Systemic Responses, encompassing long-term mitigation and adaptation. Using automated text analysis on speeches of Italy’s 18th legislature, the article shows how ideology, local risk, and their interaction shape MPs’ speeches. Three findings emerge. First, right-wing MPs prioritise Specific Impacts, whereas left-wing MPs devote more attention to Systemic Responses. Second, higher constituency risk shifts attention towards Specific Impacts. Third, fatalities from climate-related events reinforce ideological divides. As local vulnerability rises, right-wing MPs intensify calls for immediate compensation, while left-wing MPs tend to maintain a more balanced allocation of attention. These results show that even under emergencies, ideological cleavages persist, constraining cross-party convergence on shared risks.