Research project Glocalizing Climate Governance

The Role of Integrated Governance for a Just and Legitimate Adaptation to Climate Risks.

Global governance institutions such as the European Union and United Nations are today more powerful than ever, addressing a broad array of climate change risks for human livelihoods and security. To tackle such climate risks adequately we require substantial global governance, which integrates climate change adaptation into different policy sectors. The aim of this project is to understand the causes and consequences of such global governance responses for local and national climate adaptation in the global south. The project combines quantitative and qualitative methods to push forward the research frontier on the so-called ‘glocalization’ of adaptation through which global programs have ramifications for local and national adaptation to climate change. Our findings have important implications for synergies between sustainable development goals and a just and legitimate adaptation to climate change.

Project description

Global governance institutions such as the European Union and United Nations are today more powerful than ever, addressing a broad array of climate-induced risks for human livelihoods and security. To tackle such climate risks adequately we require substantial global governance responses that integrate climate change adaptation into different policy sectors. The aim of this project is to understand the causes and consequences of such global integrated governance responses for local and national climate adaptation in the global south.

The project is organized in three modules. First, we identify the global governance institutions that are currently addressing climate risks. Second, we seek to explain why integrated governance responses to climate risks differ among global governance institutions. Third, we explore the challenges and opportunities of integrated governance for a just and legitimate local and national implementation of global programs. The project combines quantitative and qualitative methods to add knowledge on this process of so-called ‘glocalization’ through which global programs have ramifications for local and national adaptation to climate change.

Taken together, the project provides new and critical insights for Swedish and global academics and stakeholders into challenges and opportunities associated with integrating climate adaptation into different policy sectors. Our findings have important implications for synergies between sustainable development goals and a just and legitimate adaptation to climate change.