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Symbolic Meta-Policy: (Not) Tackling Climate Change in the Transport Sector

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Listed:
  • Ian Bache
  • Louise Reardon
  • Ian Bartle
  • Matthew Flinders
  • Greg Marsden

Abstract

type="main"> This paper seeks to understand how the UK government's headline climate change targets are translated into action at the local level in the transport sector drawing on the findings of research in two English regions. In doing so, these headline targets are identified as a symbolic meta-policy that results in little action on the ground and which challenges established conceptions of policy implementation. Both the ‘meta’ and ‘symbolic’ aspects of the policy offer part of the explanation for the lack of substantive action on the ground. As a meta-policy, the headline targets across government require the elaboration of other policies at other levels such as targets for government departments and local authorities, but these are largely absent, leaving the meta-policy without teeth. Over time, these headline targets have developed into a symbolic policy, serving political goals but having little practical effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian Bache & Louise Reardon & Ian Bartle & Matthew Flinders & Greg Marsden, 2015. "Symbolic Meta-Policy: (Not) Tackling Climate Change in the Transport Sector," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 63(4), pages 830-851, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:polstu:v:63:y:2015:i:4:p:830-851
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/1467-9248.12123
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tønnesen, Anders & Krogstad, Julie Runde & Christiansen, Petter & Isaksson, Karolina, 2019. "National goals and tools to fulfil them: A study of opportunities and pitfalls in Norwegian metagovernance of urban mobility," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 35-44.
    2. Louise Reardon, 2018. "Networks and problem recognition: advancing the Multiple Streams Approach," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 51(4), pages 457-476, December.
    3. Leonore Haelg & Sebastian Sewerin & Tobias S. Schmidt, 2020. "The role of actors in the policy design process: introducing design coalitions to explain policy output," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(2), pages 309-347, June.
    4. Aldred, Rachel & Watson, Tom & Lovelace, Robin & Woodcock, James, 2019. "Barriers to investing in cycling: Stakeholder views from England," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 149-159.
    5. Stephanie Zarb & Kristin Taylor, 2023. "Uneven local implementation of federal policy after disaster: Policy conflict and goal ambiguity," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 40(1), pages 63-87, January.
    6. Greg Marsden & Jillian Anable, 2021. "Behind the Targets? The Case for Coherence in a Multi-Scalar Approach to Carbon Action Plans in the Transport Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    7. Heiner Lüpke & Lucas Leopold & Jale Tosun, 2023. "Institutional coordination arrangements as elements of policy design spaces: insights from climate policy," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 56(1), pages 49-68, March.

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