Subnational Mitigation Climate Targets in Multi-Level Governance Setting: Between Cooperation and Competition

How do subnational governments perceive their role in multi-level governance settings regarding climate mitigation actions, and how do these perceptions influence their climate mitigation target’s ambition? Subnational governments in federal states have an important role in climate mitigation as they often have specific legislative jurisdiction relevant to climate mitigation action. However, institutions and multi-level governance settings can also constrain their role and actions. Yet, few studies have looked at climate mitigation targets of subnational governments in a comparative perspective across many states. This paper explores the framing of climate mitigation targets in subnational states and aims to assess and explain how these frames may affect climate ambition. Theoretically, this research bridges the framing literature and discursive institutionalism to explain the role of frames related to multi-level governance in climate mitigation targets of subnational governments. Discursive institutionalism “lends insight into the role of ideas and discourse in politics” (Schmidt 2010). Empirically, this paper builds on three different original datasets. First, all climate mitigation targets of subnational governments in 8 federal states are systematically reviewed and coded to allow comparison. Different features of each climate mitigation target are coded, such as the scope, enforcement mechanism, accountability, actions scope, and use of technology. This process also allows us to identify features of innovative climate policy and law and better understand how climate mitigation targets vary across subnational governments. Second, we identify the frames put forward to support climate mitigation targets in each communication by subnational governments accompanying their mitigation targets, such as press releases and foreword of policy documents. These documents are a rich source of frame as they contain a lot of information about the rationale for the policy proposal. Most of these documents contain many frames regarding climate change, climate action, and climate responsibility. Third, we conduct interviews with civil servants and/or elected officials in a selection of subnational states in each federation to better understand the relationship between climate mitigation targets and their framing. Preliminary observations show that frames related to federal governments are highly present in subnational climate mitigation targets. Most of these frames highlight either a willingness to cooperate with the federal government or display opposition and competition with the federal government. However, competition or opposition with the federal government does not necessarily lead to less ambitious climate targets. Interestingly, very few subnational governments acknowledge the international climate regime or frame their responsibility as coming from it. The results of this research are of interest to scholars looking at explanations for climate policy ambitions in a federal context. Systematically assessing and comparing climate mitigation policies of subnational states across different countries also helps address shortcomings in the current literature.