About the project
Research related to municipal climate efforts shows that factors such as how climate work is institutionalised in the municipal organisation, competence and capacity in the organisation, in addition to attitudes towards leadership and management practices are elements that influence success in this area. This knowledge will form the background for our study of climate budgeting.
As a governance tool, it is emphasised in climate guides and reports that ownership, anchoring, allocation of responsibilities, and integration with existing plans and routines are important for climate budgeting to be effective. Also crucial is the process itself, involvement in the work, and follow-up of planned measures and instruments.
There are many different ways to handle climate budgeting in a municipal organisation. We have little knowledge of what actually happens in these processes and why some work better than others. At the same time, we know that climate issues are a so-called "wicked problem" as the issue cuts across sectors and areas of responsibility, has many causes, and the solutions proposed may have unforeseen consequences. This will affect the complexity of climate budgeting work and will be something to consider when the work begins.
Climate budgets can be understood as a concept developed at the grassroots level and spread through "translation" to individual municipalities. We follow the municipalities over time and study how leaders and staff develop and shape the climate budget in their organisation. Furthermore, we follow how the climate budget is adapted to the local conditions in the municipalities (change context) and the "stakeholders" (users) in the municipality's surroundings. Research on the municipality as a change agent in WP3 in Include involves a focus on both content and process in restructuring work. Furthermore, the empirical focus is both internal to the organisation and external.
The project is led by Associate Professor Mette Talseth Solnørdal (UiT). Professor Lene Foss (Jönköping University/UiT), Associate Professor Elin A. Nilsen (UiT), Senior Researcher Hege Westskog (SUM, UiO), Researcher Eivind Selvig (Civitas), and PhD candidate Julie Høie Nygård are the researchers involved in the project.
Funding
Research Council of Norway
Collaboration
The user partners in the project are the Norwegian Environment Directorate, KS (the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities), the counties of Viken and Troms and Finnmark, as well as the municipalities of Oslo, Tromsø, Lillestrøm, and Bærum. In addition, the Solar Energy Cluster and A-lab are partners in the project.
Duration
2020-2025