Emergence of polycentric climate governance and its future prospects

This perspective article analyzes the transition in climate governance from a top-down, UNFCCC-centered model to a diversified, polycentric, and multi-level approach, while questioning whether the effectiveness of these new forms is supported by evidence.

• Climate governance is shifting from a top-down approach centered on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) toward a more diversified, multi-level, and polycentric pattern emerging in alternative domains.
• While some analysts suggest these new polycentric forms of governance will address gaps in the existing international climate regime, such optimism relies on assumptions regarding their performance and diffusion that remain untested.
• The authors conclude that although polycentric governance provides new opportunities for climate action, it is currently premature to determine if the expected effectiveness of these emerging governance forms is well founded.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2015). Emergence of polycentric climate governance and its future prospects. https://www.sei.org/publications/emergence-of-polycentric-climate-governance-and-its-future-prospects/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Emergence of polycentric climate governance and its future prospects. 2015. https://www.sei.org/publications/emergence-of-polycentric-climate-governance-and-its-future-prospects/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Emergence of polycentric climate governance and its future prospects |date=10 August 2015 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/emergence-of-polycentric-climate-governance-and-its-future-prospects/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2015emergence, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Emergence of polycentric climate governance and its future prospects}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2015}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/emergence-of-polycentric-climate-governance-and-its-future-prospects/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }