Local community participation in the Covenant of Mayors and Klimaatverbond: A cross-case study in the Netherlands

Abstract

In the last couple of years there have been many different Protocols, Accords and Agreements to combat climate change, being the Paris Agreement the last global effort to unite countries for this common cause. However, regardless of these pledges, efforts, and commitments, they are not enough to keep the average rise of global temperature under 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. At the COP21, cities were recognized as key actors in the fight against climate change because of their ability to combine national with local level approaches. In a multi-level system, the increased interconnectedness and competencies among these actors allow the subnational actors to increase their representativeness in central policy processes. The emergence of city climate networks, which are thought to be governing global and local climate action, reflects this multi-level nature and its dynamics. The increased interconnectedness and polycentric governance have allowed local communities to engage in climate mitigation and adaptation policy processes, considered to be a key factor for the success of global, regional and local climate actions.