Institute for Comparative Federalism - Projects - Research Südtirol
Research Südtirol
5c/2023 Climate change integration in the multilevel governance of Italy and Austria
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- Project duration: -
- Project status: ongoing
- Funding: Provincial P.-L.P. 14. Research projects (Province BZ funding /Project)
- Total project budget: €299,775.96
Climate change “is the epitome of a multilevel governance challenge”. While objectives and framework rules are decided at the international level, the implementation of those same rules requires the adoption of measures at different levels of government, including the subnational level.
This project focusses on subnational governments as central players in the integration of climate change considerations in those policy sectors where they exercise legislative powers. The reasons for this focus relate to three main factors. First, the impacts of climate change are felt most immediately at subnational and local levels, and require policy responses that are closer to citizens. Second, subnational governments hold powers in most of the sectors either impacted by climate change or that directly affect national and international mitigation and adaptation goals, including transport, energy policies (hydroelectric), and spatial planning. Third, there are few comparative studies of climate change integration at the subnational level.
In this context, this comparative project investigates two main research questions:
1) To what extent and by which means have the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano in Italy and Länder Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria integrated climate policies in sectors where they exercise exclusive and shared legislative powers? The project will concentrate on the following policies: transport, energy and water, and territorial planning.
2) What institutional factors prevent or facilitate climate change integration at the subnational and local levels, in terms of both policy-making and implementation? Five main institutional factors are argued to play potentially decisive roles: 1) coordination among authorities responsible for sectoral policies (horizontal/vertical and formal/informal); 2) public participation; 3) leadership (both political and in the administration); 4) information on climate change (as available for policy-makers, administrators, and the public) and its communication (at what stage and by what means); and 5) dedicated funding.
These research questions are investigated by an integrated research team composed of experts in law and sociology of law from Eurac Research, the University of Innsbruck and the University of Trento. The main methodology used will be: a) a thorough literature review; b) text analysis of policy documents, strategies, sectoral plans, and interdepartmental arrangements; and c) interviews of both policy officers and main stakeholders.
Scientific Output
The fight against climate change: a matter for subnational governments!
The much-awaited COP26 has come to an end after long negotiations. The final outcome document, also known as the Glasgow Climate Pact, has been met with lukewarm enthusiasm even by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who stressed the need to accelerate action to be able to stay within the global temperature rise of 1.5°. read more
Federica Cittadino, Institute for Comparative Federalism, Eurac Research EUreka! blog, 23 November 2021
Discovering subnational paths to climate change integration: an Austrian way
Climate change is a global problem and a worldwide perceived urgency which requires prompt responses and actions at different levels of government. Austria is committed to a very ambitious green agenda: achieving climate neutrality by 2040. Needless to say, the contribution by the subnational entities (Länder) is and will be indispensable! [[read more]](https://https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/eureka/discovering-subnational-paths-to-climate-change-integration-an-austrian-way)
Alice Meier, Institute for Public Law, State and Administrative Theory, University of Innsbruck, EUreka! blog, 14 December 2021
Light and shadow of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies: South Tyrol
The Eurac Research project "Climate change integration in the multilevel governance of Italy and Austria" aims at studying and comparing how the Autonomous Provinces of Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol) and Trento, and the two Austrian Länder Vorarlberg and Tyrol are tackling the struggle against climate change. [[read more]](https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/eureka/light-and-shadow-of-climate-change-adaptation-and-mitigation-strategies-south-tyr)
Giada Giacomini, Institute of Comparative Federalism, Eurac Research, EUreka! blog, 11 January 2022
© Michael Held/Unsplash
The current situation of climate change integration in Trentino
There is a central but under-studied aspect in the fight against climate change: the implementation of effective mitigation and adaptation measures at the sub-national level. Climate governance, in fact, is taking on an increasingly global dimension and while this is essential for addressing such a wide-ranging issue, it should also manage to maintain some difficult geo-political equilibria. [[read more]](https://https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/eureka/the-current-situation-of-climate-change-integration-in-trentino)
Niccolò Bertuzzi, School of International Studies, University of Trento, EUreka! blog, 18 January 2022
Cittadino F (2023)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: Cycle of seminars, in the framework of the visit of the Adenauer Stiftung to Eurac Research | Bolzano | 27.4.2023 - 27.4.2023
Cittadino F, Parks L, Bußjäger P, Rosignoli F (2023)
Internet
More information: https://blog-iacl-aidc.org/just-published/2023/5/18/climate- ...
Cittadino F, Parks L, Bußjäger P, Rosignoli F (2023)
Internet
More information: https://british-association-comparative-law.org/2023/05/02/d ...
Cittadino F (2023)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: Book presentation| Climate Change Integration in the Multilevel Governance of Italy and Austria: Shaping Subnational Policies in the Transport, Energy, and Spatial Planning Sectors | Innsbruck : 26.5.2023 - 26.5.2023
Cittadino F, Parks L, Bußjäger P, Rosignoli F (2023)
Internet
More information: https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/eureka/does-climate-change-in ...
Cittadino F (2022)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: Winter School on Federalism and Governance 2021 - Federalism and/in Emergency | Bolzano/Bozen (online) | 30.1.2022 - 12.2.2022
Cittadino F (2022)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: Twenty-Eighth International Conference of Europeanists| The Environment of Democracy (virtual program) | Lisbon : 20.6.2022 - 22.6.2022
More information: https://councilforeuropeanstudies.org/2022-final-programs/
Cittadino F (2022)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: SISC2022| Governing the Future | Rome : 19.10.2022 - 21.10.2022
More information: https://www.sisclima.it/conferenza-annuale-2022/
Cittadino F, Mitrotta E (2022)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: 2022 Oslo International Environmental Law Conference | Oslo | 3.10.2022 - 6.10.2022
More information: https://www.iucn.org/events/external-event/2022-oslo-interna ...
Cittadino F, Mitrotta E (2022)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: IUCN Academy of Environmental Law 19th Annual Colloquium - Reimagining Environmental Law | Brisbane | 11.7.2022 - 15.7.2022
More information: https://consol.eventsair.com/iucn-academy-colloquium-2022/pr ...
Bertuzzi N, Cittadino F, Giacomini G, Meier A (2022)
Journal article
Italian Papers on Federalism
More information: https://www.ipof.it/climate-change-integration-in-the-multil ...
Cittadino F (2022)
Presentation/Speech
Conference: Conferenza finale| Integrazione dei cambiamenti climatici nella governance multilivello di Italia e Austria | Bolzano : 15.12.2022 - 15.12.2022
More information: https://www.eurac.edu/it/institutes-centers/istituto-di-stud ...
Bertel M, Cittadino F (2022)
Contribution in book
Climate Change Integration in the Multilevel Governance of Italy and Austria: Shaping Subnational Policies in the Transport, Energy, and Spatial Planning Sectors
More information: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004513006_004
Cittadino F, Meier A, Bertuzzi N, Felber AT, Librera T (2022)
Bolzano: Eurac Research
Report
More information: https://zenodo.org/record/7379919
Cittadino F, Parks L, Bußjäger P, Rosignoli F (2022)
Leiden ; Boston: Brill
978-90-04-51299-3
(Studies in Territorial and Cultural Diversity Governance)
Edited book
More information: https://brill.com/edcollbook-oa/title/62097?language=en&cont ...
Bertuzzi N, Felber AT, Librera T, Cittadino F, Meier A (2022)
Bolzano: Eurac Research
Report
More information: https://zenodo.org/record/7438561#.Y6BEvXbMKUk
Bertuzzi N, Felber AT, Librera T, Cittadino F, Meier A (2022)
Bolzano: Eurac Research
Report
More information: https://zenodo.org/record/7438588#.Y6BCqHbMKUk
Bertuzzi N, Cittadino F, Felber AT (2022)
Bolzano: Eurac Research
Report
More information: https://zenodo.org/record/7437357#.Y6BAnXbMKUk
Cittadino F (2021)
Internet
More information: https://foederalismus.at/blog/the-fight-against-climate-chan ...