Place-based climate commissions: embracing messy governmentality

Howarth, C.; Edwards, L.; Duncan, A.; Van der Horst, D.; Pringle, R.

Abstract

The role of the ‘place’ in delivering climate action is vital, however much action on climate change locally is fragmented. Independent place-based climate commissions are a novel structure of climate governance developing at the subnational level across cities, regions and counties in the UK. Little is known about these emerging forms of local climate governance and their experiences of navigating ‘mess’ in governance practices and processes. Building on Castán Broto’s framework of messy governmentalities, this paper seeks to assess the capacity of climate commissions to affect meaningful climate mitigation and adaptation action, to understand how they interact with existing climate governance structures and to consider their longer-term sustainability. This paper examines the nature and impact climate commissions have had on local climate action, drawing on qualitative interviews with chairs, commissioners, members of the secretariat and associated local authorities of the Edinburgh, Belfast, Leeds, Surrey, Yorkshire and Humber, and Lincoln commissions in the UK. Analysing the journeys of the commissions through a lens of messy governmentalities, and a focus on bodies, strategies and knowledges within them, we draw out insights on how climate commissions came about, their function and role, their impact and influence, and how they have evolved.

Citation

Howarth, C., Edwards, L., Duncan, A., Van der Horst, D., & Pringle, R. (2024). Place-based climate commissions: embracing messy governmentality. Climatic Change, 177(12), Article 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-024-03828-w

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 4, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 16, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 16, 2024
• Journal: Climatic Change
• Print ISSN: 0165-0009
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-1480
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 177
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: 175
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-024-03828-w
• Keywords: Climate governance, Messy governmentality, Place, Climate commission, Climate action
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3209973