Just Accepted
This article has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. It is in production and has not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.
Ramsar On Repeat: Quantifying US Policy Action by Political Party
Abstract
Globally, 177 nations are party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. This environmental treaty is unique as the only MEA to actively conserve sites on the ground. The Ramsar Convention facilitates global scientific cooperation, among the largest and smallest nations, including Russia, Canada, and China, and Monaco and the Marshall Islands. This article presents a new global dataset to understand whether domestic political parties in the US impact the US implementation of the Ramsar Convention. In total, this analysis stretches from 2005 to 2020, and uses the Environmental Conventions Index (ECI). The ECI is the first cross-comparable and empirical dataset on the implementation of the Ramsar Convention and can jumpstart additional research. The implementation evidence suggests that the translation of Ramsar Convention policy into action in the US remains consistent across political party. The highest environmental implementation scores occurred under a US Republican administration. This finding is surprising since Pew surveys show Republicans care less about climate change than Democrats. This perspective aims to generate re-thinking of US politics at the start of an incoming Republican administration. With bipartisan support, the Ramsar Convention could revive US environmental leadership.
MF24287 Accepted 05 April 2025
© CSIRO 2025
