Leila da Costa Ferreira

Climate change action at the city level: tales from two megacities in Brazil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors shaping climate policies in two megacities in Brazil – Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – through a multilevel perspective. The paper seeks to explore how climate change is being framed and how local governments are responding to it in terms of policy strategies.Design/methodology/approach – Through empirical research based on two case studies, the authors discuss the governing of climate change action and analyze the factors that can constrain or undermine these actions based on information collected from reports, institutional web sites and academic and newspaper articles.Findings – The participation in transnational municipal networks has been central for promoting and supporting climate change actions in both cities following the international experience. The organization and implementation of climate change measures rely on a landscape formed by multiple actors often spanning several sectors and levels of governance.Originality/value – Most of...

Opportunities and constraints for local and subnational climate change policy in urban areas: insights from diverse contexts

Climate change became the centre of public concern in the last years. Many cities and urban areas are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Local governments play an important role in implementing climate change policies. This paper explores the key factors shaping climate change policy in terms of both enabling conditions for action and the barriers that many urban centres face in taking on the challenge of mitigating and adapting to climate change. It goes beyond the analysis of single case study and captures the diversity of alternatives and contexts of cities involvement in climate action worldwide based on a meta-analysis of 38 cities worldwide. Enabling elements such as good governance, democratic and participatory institutions, and availability of different types of resources, knowledge and information on what and how to act together with the presence of a local champion often appear supporting climate change policy making.

Transição florestal e modernização ecológica: a eucaliptocultura para além do bem e do mal

Neste artigo, o caso da eucaliptocultura e usado para explorar as possibilidades analiticas da modernizacao ecologica para as discussoes sobre transicao florestal. Sao abordadas as problematicas da inclusao de monoculturas florestais no computo da transicao e da influencia indireta que essas monoculturas podem exercer na recuperacao da cobertura florestal nativa. Sao analisados aspectos gerais sobre o tema, bem como um estudo de caso em Sao Luiz do Paraitinga, SP. Argumenta-se que as monoculturas florestais nao deveriam ser incluidas no computo da transicao, porem tampouco deveriam ser ignoradas nas discussoes sobre conservacao e recuperacao florestal. O estudo de caso mostra o papel desempenhado pela pressao da sociedade, nao apenas com suas decisoes como consumidores, mas principalmente de uma articulacao politica para construir instrumentos juridicos.

Climate change challenges and China’s response: mitigation and governance

Abstract China clearly matters when it comes to global efforts to mitigate climate change and any successful international efforts to stabilize greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions must inevitably include the country. In terms of climate change responses, it is argued that governments are important actors that play a key role in defining appropriate rules, institutions and modes of governance to meet these changes at different levels and scales and in enforcing the defined rules and regulations. This article presents a detailed case study aimed at the analysis of how Chinese policies and governance structures related to climate change have evolved over the past 20 years, particularly from 1992 to 2015, and how they have influenced Chinese GHG emissions during this period.

Climate Change in Brazilian Cities: Policy Strategies and Responses to Global Warming

Abstract —Local governments play a key role developing and implementing public policies to mitigate and to adapt to climate change. This paper aims to analyze how Brazilian cities are responding to climate change in terms of policy strategies and instruments. The methodological steps cover five characteristics of these policies: 1. Mitigation goals; 2. Adaptation actions; 3. Participation of different segments of society; 4. Multi-sectorial policy implementation; 5. Government participation in networks related to climate change. Our findings suggest that local climate policies in Brazil are isolated initiatives within the national context. The strongest Brazilian policies with both mitigation and adaptation actions counted on a previous mobilization for the climate issue involving different actors from several segments of the society. These cities have also participated in transnational cooperation networks related to climate change. Certainly these factors favored the adoption of laws by those governments. Most laws have multi-sectorial nature of implementation, an important factor considering the climate issue that is related to different sectors of government action.

Risks and political responses to climate change in Brazilian coastal cities

Climate change is characterized as one of the most pressing issues in the twenty-first century. There are still many uncertainties related to the rapidity of these changes and how devastating they will be. It is recognized that climate change poses a major threat to important development issues such as water supply, food security, human health, natural resources and protection against natural hazards. Thus, modern society is challenged to manage growing risks and threats. In terms of responses to risks posed by climate change, it has been argued that governments are important actors that play a key role setting regulations, institutions and appropriate modes of governance in order to address these risks at different levels and scales. This article investigates whether climate change risks have promoted the construction of a climate agenda in some Brazilian coastal cities and analyses how climate change risks are being framed by local governments in terms of policy strategies and instruments in these cities. The analysed cities do not have specific climate strategies, but climate change risks have been addressed by local governments in their different sectors of activity. Our findings suggest that the responses to climate-related risks are blended with the responses to problems typically faced by local governments, such as floods, irregular land occupation, landslides on hillside areas, among others, which can be exacerbated by climate change. These responses are not in step with governmental actors’ perceptions and concerns, particularly with regard to risks related to sea level rise. In this sense, multi-level and intersectoral responses are required.

Oportunidades e barreiras para políticas locais e subnacionais de enfrentamento das mudanças climáticas em áreas urbanas: evidências de diferentes contextos

Cidades e areas urbanas sao vulneraveis aos impactos das mudancas climaticas. Governos locais e subnacionais desempenham um papel importante na implementacao de politicas publicas de enfrentamento dessas mudancas. Referenciado no debate internacional, este artigo investiga os principais fatores que apoiam, limitam e facilitam a implementacao de medidas de mitigacao e adaptacao as mudancas climaticas em areas urbanas. Por meio da analise de 38 estudos de caso de diferentes regioes do mundo, busca-se ir alem da analise de contextos especificos e realidades restritas, capturando o repertorio de estrategias que vem sendo adotado por governos locais e subnacionais de paises desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Identificam-se tres grupos de fatores que apoiam e limitam essas acoes: recursos e capacidades; conhecimento e informacao e instituicoes e governanca.

Uma revisão crítica sobre cidades e mudança climática: vinho velho em garrafa nova ou um novo paradigma de ação para a governança local?

Climate change and global warming have become the center of public debate as the biggest challenge of the century XXI in a short period of time. This paper aims to present a critical review on the subject of cities and climate change based on an analysis of national and international literature available. It is emphasized that the impacts of climate change are expected in urban areas affecting several sectors of urban life. Empirical evidence shows that local governments are essential to implement policies related to climate change. Overall, the response of cities focuses on mitigation and adaptation. The paper tried to understand the processes of urbanization and industrialization as a way to realize the condition and the origins of urban environmental vulnerability in Brazil, and to alert the large socioeconomic deficits and environmental impacts of Brazilian cities that make policies and responses more urgent and more complicated. Thus, it is not old wine in new bottle, but the opportunity not only to correct past mistakes, but also transform the Brazilian cities for the future in a more sustainable and just manner. For this to happen it is necessary to involve studies in public administration and local governance in these discussions.

Brazilian environmental sociology: a provisional review

The article aims firstly at the reconstitution and analysis of history within the scope of international environmental sociology situated in the context of contemporary sociology. It also discusses - from the standpoint of literature (Buttel, Dunlap, Hanning, among others) - its theoretical-methodological and institutional aspects as well in order to understand the obstacles encountered to legitimate and consolidate a set of problems which, until recently, were not dealt with by social sciences. Secondly, it analyses the Brazilian case. Environmental sociology in Brazil is strongly influenced by American empirical sociology, the precursor of the institutionalization process for the themes. On the other hand, further analysis of this case is relevant to understand the relationship between the scientific sphere, and the creation of environmental policies and social movements.

The research on human dimensions of global environmental change in Latin America

Purpose – Environmental studies have developed slowly within social sciences in Latin America. This paper seeks to assess and systematize the contribution of social sciences in the research on the human dimensions of global environmental change (HDGEC) in the region outlining its state of the art and process of development.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is the organization of a manual compilation and systematic review of publications on topics related to the HDGEC in order to investigate major research topics covering the period between 2001 and 2008.Findings – Although it is possible to identify an emergent body of the literature and scholarship in the region, the involvement of Latin American social science in the HDGEC research is still timid and tentative and not yet institutionalized. The evidence from this compilation has shown that this literature is fragmented bringing difficulties for the homogenization of criteria for analysis and assessment.Originality/value – The paper is one...