City-to-city learning on climate change policy: dynamics at the individual and organizational levels

Cities and their representatives around the world are sharing and seeking policy information to address climate change. This study enhances the understanding of city-to-city learning by examining how knowledge related to climate change policy is acquired and applied. While city representatives often develop new understanding about climate change policies (individual learning), they utilize this new knowledge less frequently in organizational practices (organizational learning). Guided by the central question, “What key conditions influence city-to-city learning on climate change policy at the individual and organizational levels?”, the study draws on a large n-survey and advanced statistical analysis. Results revealed that power delegation and trust significantly influence individual learning, while organizational learning is driven by policy alignment, communication strategy, and leadership. Individual characteristics, however, were not found significant at either level. These insights highlight the need to further explore multi-level dynamics and offer practical recommendations to enhance learning practices on climate change.