Close to home: subnational strategies for climate compatible development

This research paper, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in April 2014, examines strategies for implementing climate compatible development at the subnational level (cities, districts, and provinces) across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It identifies specific challenges, such as scientific uncertainty and limited resources, and highlights opportunities for local innovation and the use of indigenous knowledge. The paper provides a framework of effective strategies, including the use of knowledge partnerships and participatory processes, and discusses the necessity of scaling these local successes up to national levels and out to other jurisdictions to achieve global transformational change.

• Subnational actors face distinct challenges in climate compatible development, including intense local pressure to respond to climate extremes, a mismatch between public expectations and available official powers or resources, and high levels of scientific uncertainty regarding local climate trends.
• Subnational entities possess unique advantages for climate action, such as a deep understanding of local climate trends based on first-hand and indigenous knowledge, a better sense of context-effective solutions, and a greater ability to mobilise local human and social capital.
• Effective subnational strategies often involve using flexible decision-making to innovate beyond national mandates, provided that national governments create the necessary legal and policy 'space'.
• The establishment of 'knowledge partnerships'—using bridging institutions or intermediaries to translate complex climate science into accessible terms for local stakeholders—is critical for building a shared evidence base for action.
• Participatory processes that engage local communities, businesses, and government institutions help strengthen policy design, enhance local support, and mobilise in-kind resources to supplement limited government budgets.
• Securing funding from outside the jurisdiction is essential, as local budgets are often insufficient. This requires subnational actors to integrate climate requests into national development plans or coordinate with national entities to access international funds like the Green Climate Fund.
• Successful subnational initiatives are characterized by horizontal cooperation, including cross-sectoral integration within city boundaries, bridging the formal and informal economies, and transboundary coordination to manage shared resources like water.
• To achieve global impact, successful local initiatives must be 'scaled out' (replicated in other localities or through market signals) and 'scaled up' (integrated into broader national or international policy frameworks).
• A critical lesson from CDKN's evaluation is that individual initiatives rarely scale up or out successfully unless the mechanisms for scaling are integrated into the project design from the beginning.

APA

Anton, B., Cambray, A., Dupar, M., & Westerlind-Wigstroem, A. (2014). Close to home: subnational strategies for climate compatible development. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CDKN_ICLEI-Subnational-CCD-Strategies.pdf

Chicago

Anton, Barbara, Ali Cambray, Mairi Dupar, and Astrid Westerlind-Wigstroem. Close to home: subnational strategies for climate compatible development. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CDKN_ICLEI-Subnational-CCD-Strategies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anton |first1=Barbara |last2=Cambray |first2=Ali |last3=Dupar |first3=Mairi |last4=Westerlind-Wigstroem |first4=Astrid |title=Close to home: subnational strategies for climate compatible development |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=April 2014 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CDKN_ICLEI-Subnational-CCD-Strategies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anton2014close, author = {Anton, Barbara and Cambray, Ali and Dupar, Mairi and Westerlind-Wigstroem, Astrid}, title = {{Close to home: subnational strategies for climate compatible development}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CDKN_ICLEI-Subnational-CCD-Strategies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }