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Promises and risks of nonstate action in climate and sustainability governance

Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement stand as milestone diplomatic achievements. However, immense discrepancies between political commitments and governmental action remain. Combined national climate commitments fall far short of the Paris Agreement's 1.5/2°C targets. Similar political ambition gaps persist across various areas of sustainable development. Many therefore argue that actions by nonstate actors, such as businesses and investors, cities and regions, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), are crucial. These voices have resonated across the United Nations (UN) system, leading to growing recognition, promotion, and mobilization of such actions in ever greater numbers. This article investigates optimistic arguments about nonstate engagement, namely: (a) “the more the better”; (b) “everybody wins”; (c) “everyone does their part”; and (d) “more brings more.” However, these optimistic arguments may not be matched in practice due to governance risks. The current emphasis on quantifiable impacts may lead to the under‐appreciation of variegated social, economic, and environmental impacts. Claims that everybody stands to benefit may easily be contradicted by outcomes that are not in line with priorities and needs in developing countries. Despite the seeming depoliticization of the role of nonstate actors in implementation, actions may still lead to politically contentious outcomes. Finally, nonstate climate and sustainability actions may not be self‐reinforcing but may heavily depend on supporting mechanisms. The article concludes with governance risk‐reduction strategies that can be combined to maximize nonstate potential in sustainable and climate‐resilient transformations.This article is categorized under: Policy and Governance > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance
- University of Massachusetts System United States
- Boston College United States
- University of Delhi India
- Free University of Amsterdam Pure VU Amsterdam Netherlands
- Newcastle University United Kingdom
Atmospheric Science, Action (physics), Economics, ddc:320, FOS: Political science, Social Sciences, Nonstate actions, Adaptive Governance, Promotion (chess), Sustainable development, SDG 13 - Climate Action, Climate change, Political science, SDGs, Development economics, Governance, Global and Planetary Change, sustainable development, Climate governance, Geography, Corporate governance, Ecology, Physics, Politics, Foreign Aid and Development Policies, nonstate actions, Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Management, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, climate change, governance, Sustainability, Political economy, Physical Sciences, Economic Implications of Climate Change Policies, Economics and Econometrics, ddc:300, FOS: Law, Development, Quantum mechanics, 333, SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals, Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems, Biology, Planning and Development, FOS: Biological sciences, Environmental Science, Law
Atmospheric Science, Action (physics), Economics, ddc:320, FOS: Political science, Social Sciences, Nonstate actions, Adaptive Governance, Promotion (chess), Sustainable development, SDG 13 - Climate Action, Climate change, Political science, SDGs, Development economics, Governance, Global and Planetary Change, sustainable development, Climate governance, Geography, Corporate governance, Ecology, Physics, Politics, Foreign Aid and Development Policies, nonstate actions, Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Management, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, climate change, governance, Sustainability, Political economy, Physical Sciences, Economic Implications of Climate Change Policies, Economics and Econometrics, ddc:300, FOS: Law, Development, Quantum mechanics, 333, SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals, Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems, Biology, Planning and Development, FOS: Biological sciences, Environmental Science, Law
citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).64 popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.Top 1% influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).Top 10% impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.Top 1%
