The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis
Abstract Background At the COP21, cities were recognised as key actors in combatting climate change. In supporting cities, climate city networks such as transnational climate networks (TCNs) and national climate networks (NCNs) have emerged to enable cities in building capacities and formulating cli...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Energy, Sustainability and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-023-00438-9 |
| _version_ | 1797355617325678592 |
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| author | Mateo Zapata Arango Thomas Hoppe Anatol Itten Kornelis Blok |
| author_facet | Mateo Zapata Arango Thomas Hoppe Anatol Itten Kornelis Blok |
| author_sort | Mateo Zapata Arango |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background At the COP21, cities were recognised as key actors in combatting climate change. In supporting cities, climate city networks such as transnational climate networks (TCNs) and national climate networks (NCNs) have emerged to enable cities in building capacities and formulating climate policy whilst also encouraging citizen engagement and participation in public decision-making. This paper addresses the question whether and how TCN or NCN membership enables municipalities to implement citizen participation in public decision-making. Six propositions are presented addressing: presumed influence of TCN membership on citizen participation, organization of citizen participation, initiator capacity, goal setting, involvement of stakeholders, participatory methods used, and planning processes. A multi-case study research design is used to verify these propositions, comprising of four medium-sized cities in the Netherlands and three in Belgium. Results Results of the analysis of four cities in The Netherlands show that municipalities having membership to climate city networks only to a low extent empower citizen participation via local climate agendas. Citizen participation emerges rather bottom-up via local initiatives or capacity building via EU framework programs—outside TCNs or NCNs—that better suit financial needs and provide more immediate benefits to municipalities. None of the six propositions were confirmed. A more positive image resulted from the Belgian cases that moderately confirmed four out of six propositions (i.e., organizing citizen participation, goal setting, selection of methods, and planning), and featured indirect empowerment via externally funded implementation projects following firm integration of participation in local climate policy through TCN influence. Conclusions In terms of citizen participation selected municipalities in the Netherlands having TCN and/or NCN membership only to a small extent differ from those not having membership. This is partly due to poor implementation of TCNs and NCNs—with Covenant of Mayors and ‘Klimaatverbond’ lacking support structure and capacity—having lost importance during the past years. However, there is reason to believe that context makes a difference as revealed by the cases from Belgium, which revealed more positive results. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:14:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fcc8b92eeb194f42b7e7d166f0e7c119 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2192-0567 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:14:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energy, Sustainability and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-fcc8b92eeb194f42b7e7d166f0e7c1192024-01-14T12:31:43ZengBMCEnergy, Sustainability and Society2192-05672024-01-0114112310.1186/s13705-023-00438-9The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case AnalysisMateo Zapata Arango0Thomas Hoppe1Anatol Itten2Kornelis Blok3Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM), Delft University of TechnologyFaculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM), Delft University of TechnologyFaculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM), Delft University of TechnologyFaculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM), Delft University of TechnologyAbstract Background At the COP21, cities were recognised as key actors in combatting climate change. In supporting cities, climate city networks such as transnational climate networks (TCNs) and national climate networks (NCNs) have emerged to enable cities in building capacities and formulating climate policy whilst also encouraging citizen engagement and participation in public decision-making. This paper addresses the question whether and how TCN or NCN membership enables municipalities to implement citizen participation in public decision-making. Six propositions are presented addressing: presumed influence of TCN membership on citizen participation, organization of citizen participation, initiator capacity, goal setting, involvement of stakeholders, participatory methods used, and planning processes. A multi-case study research design is used to verify these propositions, comprising of four medium-sized cities in the Netherlands and three in Belgium. Results Results of the analysis of four cities in The Netherlands show that municipalities having membership to climate city networks only to a low extent empower citizen participation via local climate agendas. Citizen participation emerges rather bottom-up via local initiatives or capacity building via EU framework programs—outside TCNs or NCNs—that better suit financial needs and provide more immediate benefits to municipalities. None of the six propositions were confirmed. A more positive image resulted from the Belgian cases that moderately confirmed four out of six propositions (i.e., organizing citizen participation, goal setting, selection of methods, and planning), and featured indirect empowerment via externally funded implementation projects following firm integration of participation in local climate policy through TCN influence. Conclusions In terms of citizen participation selected municipalities in the Netherlands having TCN and/or NCN membership only to a small extent differ from those not having membership. This is partly due to poor implementation of TCNs and NCNs—with Covenant of Mayors and ‘Klimaatverbond’ lacking support structure and capacity—having lost importance during the past years. However, there is reason to believe that context makes a difference as revealed by the cases from Belgium, which revealed more positive results.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-023-00438-9Climate policyCitizen participationCity climate networkPolicy networkImplementationEnergy transition |
| spellingShingle | Mateo Zapata Arango Thomas Hoppe Anatol Itten Kornelis Blok The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis Energy, Sustainability and Society Climate policy Citizen participation City climate network Policy network Implementation Energy transition |
| title | The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis |
| title_full | The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis |
| title_fullStr | The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis |
| title_short | The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis |
| title_sort | role of city climate networks in promoting citizen participation in municipalities a critical multi case analysis |
| topic | Climate policy Citizen participation City climate network Policy network Implementation Energy transition |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-023-00438-9 |
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