Climate change and the emergence of networked governance in Sweden and Australia

With regard to responding to global climate change, urban policy and practice is central in relating global standards and knowledge, national and regional climate change scenarios into context-specific and effective action... [ view full abstract ]

With regard to responding to global climate change, urban policy and practice is central in relating global standards and knowledge, national and regional climate change scenarios into context-specific and effective action towards sustainable development at the local scale. In this paper we will look at how local government in Sweden and Australia transcends traditional boundaries of state, market and civil society by forming new partnerships and hybrid organisations that evolve to enable local government to respond to climate change more effectively. Through two case studies we examine some of the theoretical benefits, challenges and potentials of new forms of municipal collaborations introduced above. The two case studies highlight how new types of collaborations among municipalities and between municipalities and the private sector open up opportunities for feasible and (at least potentially) more effective climate change responses at the local scale.