Exploratory Workshop on “European Climate Change Governance – Towards New Alliances?”

in Hull on 2nd – 3rd July 2012

“New Alliances for European Climate Change Governance, New Challenges for Research”

Rudi Wurzel (Department of Politics) and Sally Eden (Department of Geography)

Main aims and objectives of the workshop:

• Explore the evidence for the emergence of new climate change advocacy coalitions;

• Analyse effects of scale (EU, national and local/city region);

• Investigate the drivers for and barriers to the creation of new climate change advocacy alliances in Europe;

• Assess ecological modernisation as a bridging concept;

• Consider how new alliances might best be conceptualised;

• Bring together academics and practitioners to explore these and related issues from diverse viewpoints and different conceptual perspectives.

Additional aims and objectives:

• Present and discuss research on new alliances in European climate change governance;

• Facilitate the creation of an interdisciplinary network;

• Encourage a constructive dialogue between academics and practitioners;

• Explore opportunities for possible joint (research and publication) projects and grant applications.

Workshop sessions

• Session 1: How can new climate change coalitions emerge?

• Session 2: New climate change coalitions at the EU level

• Session 3b and 3c: New climate change coalitions at the national and local EU level

• Session 4: Ecological modernisation through new climate change governance coalitions?

• Session 5: Next steps – where to go from here?

Bridges and divides:

• Interdisciplinary research and disciplinary divides: For example, Geography and Politics

• NGOs and businesses

• Academics and practitioners

• Multi-level governance: International EU National Regional/city

Possible overarching/common themes?

• New climate change alliances: Advocacy coalition framework From government towards governance?

 • Multi-level governance   • Policy learning and policy transfer • Environmental pioneers and leaders  

• New environmental policy instruments (NEPIs) and new modes of governance (NMG)

• Ecological modernisation and its critics