scholarly journals Climate Change Strategies 101

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Evan MacDonald

The development of climate change action plans and strategies is usually done via the policy cycle during the first half of a government’s term.  This short-term political process is at odds with the longer-term climate change issue that requires a consistent and sustained effort.  Consequently, this often leads to conflicting and ever changing climate plans and strategies that often do not fully move to implementation. Several key strategic questions need to be considered at the policy agenda setting stage. Examples of these questions include: the real impetus for developing the plan, political will to take on policy development at a particular time, the degree of intention to actually implement it, and depth of target vs. costs to the economy.  The developmental stage of climate plans in Canada has historically involved five key components (with many variations): 1) background policy and scientific work; 2) consultation process; 3) economic/policy analysis and target setting; 4) building political support for a greenhouse gas target and policy package to meet the target; and 5) refinement and final political approval. Businesses are also responding by developing climate change strategies to either hedge their risk of being regulated, hedge their risk related to severe weather events, and/or to take advantage of climate business opportunities.

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald MacDonald

Similar to other policy issues, climate change policy proceeds in a cyclical fashion that proceeds from agenda setting, to policy development, to implementation, and finally to monitoring and review. Agenda setting involves politicians becoming convinced, usually by the science but also by politics and public opinion, that the climate issue deserves a policy response. Policy development involves a great deal of economic and policy option assessments that are winnowed down to a few options that may have “political traction” (i.e. those politicians think might succeed). Policy implementation involves turning policies into law and regulations that industry and individuals will act upon. Policy review, especially monitoring outcomes, is perhaps the most important phase, and for the climate change issue, the ongoing conclusion to date seems to be that more needs to be done, leading to the policy cycle starting over again. But there are also disturbing signs that this “top-down” approach is no longer working, and more “bottom-up” approaches, linked to the energy sector and clean technology, may become important new forces in forging action on climate change.


Author(s):  
Sergio A. Molina Murillo

Most scenarios indicate that people in developing countries are more vulnerable and less capable of adapting to climate change. Since our public understanding of risk toward climate change in developing countries is limited, this article presents results from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, two countries which are socio-economically distinct, but which are expected to suffer similar extreme weather events. From October of 2008 until May 2010, a total of 1,047 respondents were surveyed in cities of both countries. The main results indicate that climate change is a widely known concept but other notions such as “carbon footprint” are foreign to most respondents. Despite the general concern with its negative consequences, respondents’ foremost concern is linked to their socioeconomic situation, and how it will be impacted by climate change in such aspects as poverty and social security. The results presented here contribute to advance national and international policies aiming to support mitigation or adaptation strategies in developing countries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-75
Author(s):  
Robert Ddamulira

This article addresses three research questions: How does climate change impact food production? What are the governance challenges associated with managing such impacts? What are the conditions for future success in managing the impacts of climate change on food production? To answer these questions, the researcher undertook a document review and analysis to address these various aspects with a major focus on East Africa. The study finds that climate change affects food production largely through its physical impacts on precipitation and increased the frequency of extreme weather events. Within a context of weak governance; climate change further challenges governance institutional structures and mechanisms. The study concludes that specific aspects of the prevailing climate change governance regime require major reforms (particularly the role of the state, corporations and civil society) while other climate governance mechanisms need to be completely overhauled (for example through establishment of a new World Environment Organization).


Author(s):  
Shaun Bowler

This chapter analyzes to what extent variation in political institutions affects political support. The chapter observes that the existing research is not always clear on which institutions should produce what kind of effect, although a general expectation is that institutional arrangements improve political support when they give citizens an increased sense of connection to the political process. In general then, we should expect institutions that strengthen the quality of representation to strengthen political support. This general expectation is specified in six hypotheses that are tested using data from the ESS 2012. The chapter demonstrates that electoral systems that provide voters with more choice about candidates, multiparty governments, and “responsive” legislatures, correlate positively with political support. However, compared to other macro-level factors and individual characteristics, the effects of political institutions on political support are modest. The chapter concludes that the prospects for institutional reform to strengthen political support are limited.


2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bywaters ◽  
Lindsey Napier

English This article presents the new IFSW policy statement on health. In addition to describing the consultation process undertaken, it identifies the core content and background analysis informing it. Issues raised include the relationship between local practices of social work and processes of globalization. Implications for future social work policy development are discussed. French Cet article présente la nouvelle déclaration de politique de santé de la FITS. En plus de décrire le processus de consultation entrepris, il identifie le coeur de son contenu et les analyses de fond qui la renseignent. Les questions posées incluent la relation entre les pratiques locales de travail social et les processus de mondialisation. Les implications pour le développement de la politique de travail social future sont discutées. Spanish Este artículo presenta el nuevo manifiesto de la Federación Internacional de Trabajo Social (IFSW) sobre la salud. Además de describir el proceso de consulta llevado a cabo, identifica el contenido básico y el análisis que lo soporta. Las cuestiones que emergen incluyen la relación entre las prácticas locales de trabajo social y los procesos de globalización. Se examinan las implicaciones para el futuro de la política de desarrollo del trabajo social.


2022 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 104656
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Walker ◽  
Brett L. Bruyere ◽  
Jennifer N. Solomon ◽  
Kathryn A. Powlen ◽  
Apin Yasin ◽  
...  

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