The 2030 Agenda in Spanish local entities: Does the government's ideological color matter?

Abstract

This article examines the influence of the political ideology of the governing party on the commitment of the city council to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the disclosure of information in this regard. The effect of the level of political fragmentation in the city council is also analyzed. The results obtained through the content analysis of the information related to the 2030 Agenda disclosed on the websites of 102 municipalities during the period 2016–2021 reveal a significant influence of the ideological orientation of the ruling party, with a higher level of disclosure of SDG information in those municipalities governed by left-wing parties. Furthermore, political fragmentation limits the ability of left-wing governments to promote the SDGs as part of their political agenda. The findings reinforce the discussion on the influence of government ideology on public policy and enhance the understanding of the determinants of the contribution of public entities to sustainable development.