TY - JOUR
T1 - Exclusive apart, inclusive as a system: Polycentricity in climate city networks
AU - Cortes Berrueta, Sayel
AU - van der Heijden, Jeroen
AU - Boas, Ingrid
AU - Bush, Simon
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - It is often thought that local governments in the Global South have less influence over
climate city networks than those from the Global North. We question this by examining
how different climate city networks relate and function as interconnected, yet independent, decision-making centers. We explore the extent to which this polycentric system
overcomes the assumed exclusivity and inequality of these networks. We analyze
twenty-two climate city networks using qualitative comparative analysis to classify the
networks with a majority of members from either the Global North or the Global South
based on conditions related to their context, diversity of members, and degree of homogeneity. We find that climate city networks overcome North–South dependencies
through targeted support reflecting the local needs and conditions of city members. This
diversity of tailored alternatives for cities provides equality and inclusivity at the polycentric system level, despite showing inequality and exclusivity at the network level
AB - It is often thought that local governments in the Global South have less influence over
climate city networks than those from the Global North. We question this by examining
how different climate city networks relate and function as interconnected, yet independent, decision-making centers. We explore the extent to which this polycentric system
overcomes the assumed exclusivity and inequality of these networks. We analyze
twenty-two climate city networks using qualitative comparative analysis to classify the
networks with a majority of members from either the Global North or the Global South
based on conditions related to their context, diversity of members, and degree of homogeneity. We find that climate city networks overcome North–South dependencies
through targeted support reflecting the local needs and conditions of city members. This
diversity of tailored alternatives for cities provides equality and inclusivity at the polycentric system level, despite showing inequality and exclusivity at the network level
U2 - 10.1162/glep_a_00657
DO - 10.1162/glep_a_00657
M3 - Article
SN - 1526-3800
VL - 22
SP - 59
EP - 80
JO - Global Environmental Politics
JF - Global Environmental Politics
IS - 3
ER -