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Experiments in Climate Governance. Lessons from a Systematic Review of Case Studies in Transition Research

Author

Listed:
  • Paula Kivimaa

    (Science Policy Research Unit SPRU, University of Sussex, Jubilee Building, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9SL, UK.
    Finnish Environment Institute, P.O. Box 140, 00260 Helsinki, Finland.)

  • Mikael Hildén

    (Finnish Environment Institute, P.O. Box 140, 00260 Helsinki, Finland.)

  • Dave Huitema

    (IVM Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
    Department of Science, Netherlands Open University, Valkenburgerweg 177, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands.)

  • Andrew Jordan

    (Tyndall Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.)

  • Jens Newig

    (Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany.)

Abstract

Experimentation has been proposed as one of the ways in which public policy can drive sus-tainability transitions, notably by creating or delimiting space for experimenting with innova-tive solutions to sustainability challenges. In this paper we report on a systematic review of articles published between 2009 and 2015 that have addressed experiments aiming either at understanding decarbonisation transitions or enhancing climate resilience. Using the case survey method, we find few empirical descriptions of real-world experiments in climate and energy contexts in the scholarly literature, being observed in only 25 articles containing 29 experiments. We discuss the objectives, outputs and outcomes of these experiments noting that explicit experimenting with climate policies could be identified only in 12 cases. Based on the results we suggest a definition of climate policy experiments and a typology of experi-ments for sustainability transitions that can be used to better understand the role of and learn more effectively from experiments in sustainability transitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Paula Kivimaa & Mikael Hildén & Dave Huitema & Andrew Jordan & Jens Newig, 2015. "Experiments in Climate Governance. Lessons from a Systematic Review of Case Studies in Transition Research," SPRU Working Paper Series 2015-36, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:sru:ssewps:2015-36
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jonas Torrens & Phillip Johnstone & Johan Schot, 2018. "Unpacking the Formation of Favourable Environments for Urban Experimentation: The Case of the Bristol Energy Scene," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-28, March.
    2. Marielle Papin, 2019. "Transnational municipal networks: Harbingers of innovation for global adaptation governance?," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 467-483, October.

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    Keywords

    policy innovation; experiment; experimentation; sustainability transitions; climate policy;
    All these keywords.

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