CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE: MEDIA ANALYSIS BETWEEN BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL FROM A GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Climate change has gained much attention on the political, economic, and social agenda recently. It has been extensively debated in the European Union, with growing focus and importance across society, as the organization has made substantial efforts to implement strategies to adapt to climate change. Brazil was also committed to the climate agenda; however, it has recently adopted a rather conservative stance. Based on media research, this study aims to elucidate how climate issue is addressed in different political backgrounds, specifically analyzing the disparities in its social construction and its importance for societies in Brazil and Portugal. For a year, news articles were collected from Brazilian (Estadão) and Portuguese (Jornal de Notícias) newspapers using the terms “climate” and “climate change.” In both countries, most articles were associated with the political agenda, but for different reasons. The Portuguese climate agenda is emphasized in the country’s politics; however, the Brazilian climate agenda is given less importance. Therefore, it may be stated that climate change is a well-established issue in Portugal, as its importance is no longer debated but rather mitigation and adaptation strategies. However, there are concerns regarding its veracity in Brazil, and the proposed measures are often considered exaggerated or unnecessary.