Does policy coherence make national implementation of global sustainability agendas more successful?

Policy coherence has become central to addressing interconnected climate, sustainability and biodiversity challenges, yet its conceptual ambiguity and political complexity limit its effectiveness. This article critically reviews the empirical and theoretical literature on policy coherence, examining its potential to enhance national implementation of global sustainability agendas.

The authors propose a sequential framework distinguishing between coordination, coherence and integration as interdependent processes rather than interchangeable terms. They then analyse coherence efforts through ideas, institutions and interests to reveal how power dynamics and competing values fundamentally shape outcomes across contexts. While coherence can improve effectiveness and efficiency, incoherence produces unintended distributional effects, often burdening vulnerable populations and benefiting elites. The normative nature of coherence (determining “coherence against what”) requires transparent acknowledgment of underlying value choices.

The authors conclude that while policy coherence is necessary, it remains insufficient without addressing entrenched political barriers, institutional costs and systemic complexities that perpetuate incoherence in governance systems worldwide.