Votes in eastern EU cities will reflect rural divide

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
European Commission ◽  
National Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capital Cities ◽  
Electoral Success ◽  
East European ◽  
Strong Signal ◽  
Economic Preferences ◽  
Political Entrepreneurs

Significance The electoral success of activists, political entrepreneurs, more liberal-minded or pro-EU politicians in capital cities is not a strong signal that attitudes and voting patterns are shifting at the national level. Many Central-East European (CEE) citizens still have strong preferences for socially conservative policies and politicians, despite economic preferences increasingly leaning leftwards. Impacts The European Commission will have more supporters in key places to push for more climate change awareness and Green policies. Newcomers into the system will challenge entrenched corruption and clientelism. Firms allied to mainstream parties will resist losing advantageous contracts. Nationalist or anti-EU parties will moderate their rhetoric and adapt their strategies so as not to alienate their urban supporters further.

Bavaria elections spell trouble for German coalition

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
National Level ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Social Democrats ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coalition Partner ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Social ◽  
Christian Social Union

Significance The governing Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), suffered a serious blow in Bavaria's October 14 federal state elections, underscoring the wider decline of the CDU/CSU in Germany. Its setback, as well as the poor result for the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel’s junior coalition partner, will have implications at the national level. Impacts If Merkel were to fall, Bundestag President Wolfgang Schaeuble could serve as stop-gap chancellor. In 2019’s state elections, the AfD could emerge as the largest party in several eastern states. Merkel could withdraw support for the CSU’s Manfred Weber, who wants to run for the European Commission presidency.

scholarly journals The role of farmers and organizational networks in climate information communication: the case of Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chidiebere Ofoegbu ◽  
Mark New
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Level ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Collaboration Network ◽  
Climate Information ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Climate Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Organizational Collaboration

Purpose The nature of the collaborations that exists among the organizations in the climate change and agriculture sectors can influence the tailoring of climate forecasts into information useable for adapting agricultural practices to the risks posed by climate change. Also, the extent to which farmers are integrated into this organizational collaboration network can influence their access to climate information. This paper aims to examine how organizational collaborations in the process of climate information generation and dissemination acts as either barriers or enablers of farmers’ access to and use of climate information in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach This study used key informant interview and questionnaire survey to interview the organizations in the climate change and agriculture sectors. Using network analysis as an analytical framework, the authors estimated the networks’ core-periphery, density, reciprocity and degree centrality. Findings The authors observed that communication of climate information to farmers is mostly influenced by the collaborations between governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations. Nevertheless, information flow and exchange through organizational collaboration network is having limited effect on improving farmers’ knowledge about climate risks, impacts and available risk response options. This is mostly because the feedback flow of information from farmers to national level organizations has not been effective in addressing localized climate/agro challenges. Originality/value This paper provides a critical overview of key issues in influencing the relevancy and usefulness of climate information in the Ghanaian agriculture sector. Insights gained and recommendations made are essential for deploying effective climate services in Ghana and can be relevant for many African countries because of similar socioeconomic contexts.

'Paris rules' will drive global climate progress

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
National Level ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Growth Prospects ◽  
The Impact

Significance COP22 has been dubbed "the COP of action, adaptation and Africa". It is a key opportunity to build confidence in the system of global cooperation adopted at the Paris Climate Conference. The Paris meeting ushered in a new framework for cooperation on climate change based on voluntary emissions reductions targets that will be jointly reviewed every five years. Negotiators gathering in Marrakech for COP22 face the task of making the Paris Agreement work -- and delivering results on a sufficiently large scale. Impacts Cooperation under the Paris framework will help reduce climate change effects, though overshooting of the 2 degree target is inevitable. The Paris deal's reliance on peer pressure and self-policing will risk national-level backsliding during the implementation process. Actions taken in the next ten years will determine the impact of climate change on global growth prospects for the whole of this century.

Understanding national barriers to climate change adaptation for public health: a mixed-methods survey of national public health representatives

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-306
Author(s):  
Hannah Marcus ◽  
Liz Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
National Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Resources ◽  
National Public Health

PurposeTo uncover the major government constraints to enactment and implementation of public health-targeted climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies in order to equip public health stakeholders and health advocates with the knowledge resources necessary to more effectively mobilize and support CCA for public health responses at the national level.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods online survey was distributed to the representatives of national public health associations and societies of 82 countries. The survey comprised 15 questions assessing national progress on CCA for public health and the effects of various institutional, economic/financial, technical and sociopolitical barriers on national adaptive capacity.FindingsSurvey responses from 11 countries indicated that national commitments to CCA for public health have increased markedly since prior assessments but significant shortcomings remain. The largest apparent barriers to progress in this domain were poor government coordination, lack of political will and inadequate adaptation finances.Originality/valueThis study is unique in relation to the prior literature on the topic in that it effectively captures an array of country-specific yet cross-cutting adaptation constraints across diverse national contexts. With a deepened understanding of the major determinants of national adaptive capacity, international actors can devise more effective, evidence-informed strategies to support national governments in responding to the health impacts of climate change.

scholarly journals Mitigating and adapting to climate change: attitudinal and behavioural challenges in South Asia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-493
Author(s):  
Shahzad Alvi ◽  
Umer Khayyam
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capital Cities ◽  
The People ◽  
Climatic Hazards

Purpose This study aims to examine peoples’ perception of climate change. It assessed their attitude, behavioural motivation for mitigating and adapting to climate change in the two capital cities of South Asia: Islamabad in Pakistan and Dhaka in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach This study used the quantitative research technique based on responses of 800 close-ended questions embedded in a close-ended questionnaire, which were filled-out from randomly selected sample of respondents. The primary data was analysed and presented through tabulation. For binary dependent variables, the standardised logistic coefficients were projected for more reliable estimates. Findings The findings reveal that the population of both capital cities have a low personal perception of climate change. Also, the dwellers of both cities have a low level of motivation to take mitigative and adaptive measures against climatic hazards. The results of the logistic regression model further indicate that the people who believe that climate change is a threat to their lives are more likely to adopt mitigative and adaptive strategies. This mostly applies to the people with a relatively higher income and education level. Research limitations/implications This study implies to create awareness and sensitise the local community in both the capitals and beyond through information dissemination. Further, the availability of toolkits to handle emergencies remains imperative in registering attitudinal and behavioural changes to reduce the impacts of climate variability in poor localities. Originality/value This research study analysed the link between climate change mitigation and energy conservation from the societal attributes of perception, motivation, attitude and behaviour, which remains essential for community-based mitigation against climatic hazards.

scholarly journals Implications of transforming climate change risks into security risks

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 460-477
Author(s):  
Ksenia Chmutina ◽  
Peter Fussey ◽  
Andrew Dainty ◽  
Lee Bosher
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
National Level ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Security Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Change Risks ◽  
The Uk

Purpose A number of severe weather events have influenced a shift in UK policy concerning how climate-induced hazards are managed. Whist this shift has encouraged improvements in emergency management and preparedness, the risk of climate change is increasingly becoming securitised within policy discourses, and enmeshed with broader agendas traditionally associated with human-induced threats. Climate change is seen as a security risk because it can impede development of a nation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the evolution of the securitisation of climate change, and interrogates how such framings influence a range of conceptual and policy focused approaches towards both security and climate change. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the UK context, the paper uses a novel methodological approach combining critical discourse analysis and focus groups with security experts and policymakers. Findings The resulting policy landscape appears inexorably skewed towards short-term decision cycles that do little to mitigate longer-term threats to the nation’s assets. Whilst a prominent political action on a global level is required in order to mitigate the root causes (i.e. GHG emissions), national level efforts focus on adaptation (preparedness to the impacts of climate-induced hazards), and are forming part of the security agenda. Originality/value These issues are not restricted to the UK: understanding the role of security and its relationship to climate change becomes more pressing and urgent, as it informs the consequences of securitising climate change risks for development-disaster risk system.

The EU will ramp up efforts to counter China’s BRI

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
High Impact ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Tackle Climate Change ◽  
The Eu

Significance Member states have asked the European Commission to spend the next nine months developing a plan containing “high impact and visible projects” to rival the BRI. While EU efforts to counter the BRI are not new, the political will has never been as strong as it is now. Impacts China will seek to make the BRI more attractive, such as by launching more initiatives to tackle climate change. Europe will remain distant from the US position on China, unless Germany gets a Green chancellor or Macron loses the 2022 election. The deterioration of the EU's relations with Hungary and Poland over rule-of-law issues could push those countries closer to China.

scholarly journals Regional legislation to address climate change in China: necessity and feasibility

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianwei Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyi Jiang ◽  
Xiaobin Pan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
National Level ◽  
Regional Climate Change ◽  
Address Climate Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Legislation ◽  
Legislative Framework

Purpose Legislation plays an essential role in addressing climate change in China. However, many barriers to formulating national legislation to address climate change have so far prevented its enactment. The bottom-up approach adopted in the international climate regime sets a good example. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the regional legislation to address climate change in China through exploring the following two questions: whether it is necessary to enact climate change legislation at regional level first and whether it is feasible to develop such regional legislation in the absence of national climate change law. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses the necessity and feasibility of regional legislation to address climate change. Section 2 introduces the current legislative framework on climate change in China. Section 3 investigates whether it is better to push the legislative agenda at regional, rather than national level. Section 4 analyses the feasibility of establishing regional legislative systems. Section 5 explores the key issues in formulating and promoting regional legislation. Findings This paper concludes that it is necessary and feasible to pilot regional legislation before enacting national legislation. Under these circumstances, local governments can take the initiative to begin formulating regional legislation. Originality/value Addressing climate change needs immediate action and effective measures. It is, thus, necessary to reconsider the approach that China should adopt when developing legislation on climate change. This paper contributes to broadening current knowledge of regional climate change legislation in China.

Climate change-related non-economic loss and damage in Bangladesh and Japan

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohei Chiba ◽  
Rajib Shaw ◽  
Sivapuram Prabhakar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Loss And Damage ◽  
Assess Climate Change

Purpose This paper aims to assess climate change-related non-economic loss and damage (NELD) through case studies of Bangladesh and Japan, evaluate how NELD are addressed in these countries and provide the ways forward for further improvement. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviewed the literature to examine NELD and looked into currently available methodologies and their limitations. It reviewed governmental disaster reports and plans and interviewed with communities to understand NELD in each country’s context. Findings This paper indicates that NELDs are not sufficiently reported in the countries studied. Underestimation of NELD may lead to limited outcomes in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). NELD should be measured and integrated into decision-making, through capacity-building from local to national level. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on the literature review and stakeholder consultations in the study countries. The results are specific to these countries. Readers may find them applicable to other country situations. Practical implications NELD-related information is directly relevant for preparing countries to achieve their sustainable development, CCA and DRR objectives as suggested by the recent international frameworks such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework for DRR. Social implications This paper identifies several NELD indicators related to societal well-being in the study countries and beyond, and addressing them will have positive impact on the society. Originality/value Addressing NELD is a recent topic under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and nothing much has been done on how countries can address NELD in their developmental, CCA and DRR approaches. This paper identifies the importance of integrating NELD into decision-making and the ways forward to researchers, governments and policymakers for addressing NELD.

Impact of climate discourse on national scientific networks in energy technologies: the case of Estonian science and industry linkages

2019 ◽  
pp. 20-45
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
National Level ◽  
Incremental Innovation ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Global Discourse ◽  
Research Agendas

This article examines how the global climate change discourse influences the implementation of national science policy in the area of energy technology, with a focus on industry and science collaborations and networks. We develop a set of theoretical propositions about how the issues in the global discourse are likely to influence research agendas and networks, the nature of industry-science linkages and the direction of innovation. The plausibility of these propositions is examined, using Estonia as a case study. We find that the global climate discourse has indeed led to the diversification of research agendas and networks, but the shifts in research strategies often tend to be rhetorical and opportunistic. The ambiguity of the global climate change discourse has also facilitated incremental innovation towards energy efficiency and the potentially sub-optimal lock-in of technologies. In sum, the Estonian case illustrates how the introduction of policy narratives from the global climate change discourse to the national level can shape the actual policy practices and also networks of actors in a complex and non-linear fashion, with unintended effects.

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