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Trans‐local action and local climate policy. Configurations of success for climate innovations in the European multilevel system

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  • Andreas Corcaci
  • Jörg Kemmerzell

Abstract

Local climate policy in Germany is embedded in a complex and dense multilevel system. While higher levels of governance confront cities with legal frameworks and regulations, they are not constrained to mere implementation of requirements from the national or supranational levels. Cities can influence and make strategic use of opportunities stemming from the multilevel structure to introduce innovative climate policy measures as best practices. Within a multilevel structure, they can engage in trans‐local action and become actors in various processes of upscaling. In this paper, we analyze the configurations of success for local climate innovations. We focus on the impact of cities' trans‐local and strategic activities within the European multilevel system in conjunction with city‐specific context conditions. The research is based on a concept‐structural framework that combines trans‐local activities and internal context conditions in a way that accounts for interactions between the two spheres. A comparison of the German cities of Darmstadt, Hagen, Offenbach, and Oldenburg indicates that configurations of strategic action in the multilevel system and beneficial local conditions explain the adoption of climate innovations. Therefore, such trans‐local action should not be understood as a sufficient condition of innovative climate policy measures, but as an enabling factor embedded in local contexts. La política climática local en Alemania está integrada en un sistema multinivel complejo y denso. Si bien los niveles más altos de gobernanza confrontan a las ciudades con marcos legales y regulaciones, no están limitadas a la mera implementación de requisitos de los niveles nacional o supranacional. Las ciudades pueden influir y hacer un uso estratégico de las oportunidades derivadas de la estructura multinivel para introducir medidas innovadoras de política climática como mejores prácticas. Dentro de una estructura multinivel, pueden participar en acciones translocales y convertirse en actores en varios procesos de ampliación. En este artículo, analizamos las configuraciones de éxito de las innovaciones climáticas locales. Nos centramos en el impacto de las actividades translocales y estratégicas de las ciudades dentro del sistema multinivel europeo junto con las condiciones del contexto específico de la ciudad. La investigación se basa en un marco conceptual‐estructural que combina las actividades translocales y las condiciones del contexto interno de una manera que da cuenta de las interacciones entre las dos esferas. Una comparación de las ciudades alemanas de Darmstadt, Hagen, Offenbach y Oldenburg indica que las configuraciones de acción estratégica en el sistema multinivel y las condiciones locales beneficiosas explican la adopción de innovaciones climáticas. Por lo tanto, dicha acción translocal no debe entenderse como una condición suficiente de las medidas innovadoras de política climática, sino como un factor habilitador integrado en los contextos locales. 德国的地方气候政策嵌入在一个复杂而密集的多层次系统中。虽然更高层次的治理使城市面临法律框架和规制,但这些框架和规制并不仅限于执行国家或超国家层面的要求。城市能影响和战略性地利用多层次结构带来的机会,以期引入创新的气候政策措施作为最佳实践。在多层次结构中,城市能参与跨地方行动,并成为各种提升过程中的行动者。本文中,我们分析了地方气候创新成功的配置。我们聚焦于欧洲多层次系统中城市的跨地方活动和战略活动的影响,并结合城市特定的情境条件。本研究基于一项概念‐结构框架,该框架结合了跨地方活动和内部情境条件,这种结合方式能解释两个领域之间的相互影响。对德国城市达姆施塔特、哈根、奥芬巴赫和奥尔登堡加以比较后表明,多层次系统中的战略行动配置和有利的地方条件能解释气候创新的采用。因此,这种跨地方行动不应被理解为创新气候政策措施的充分条件,而应被理解为地方情境中所嵌入的有利因素。

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Corcaci & Jörg Kemmerzell, 2023. "Trans‐local action and local climate policy. Configurations of success for climate innovations in the European multilevel system," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 40(6), pages 1120-1143, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:revpol:v:40:y:2023:i:6:p:1120-1143
    DOI: 10.1111/ropr.12536
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    References listed on IDEAS

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