Smart mixes and the challenge of complexity: Lessons from global climate governance

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Abstract

The idea of improving the performance of environmental policies by combining various instruments and approaches in a smart way is attractive. However, from a theoretical perspective, the idea of optimal mixes seems problematic. This chapter starts from the assumption that governance fields (i.e. the multiple institutions, both public and private, that are operating within a given policy arena across multiple levels) can be best described as complex systems, and consequently develops an argument about the usefulness of complexity sciences in studying smart policy mixes. The area of climate change governance after the Paris Agreement serves as our empirical illustration.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSmart Mixes for Transboundary Environmental Harm
EditorsJudith van Erp, Michael Faure, Andre Nollkaemper, Niels Philipsen
Place of PublicationCambridge
PublisherCambridge University Press
Chapter3
Pages49-68
Number of pages20
ISBN (Electronic)9781108653183
ISBN (Print)9781108428385
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Publication series

Name Cambridge Studies on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Governance

Bibliographical note

From Part I: Conceptual Approaches to Smart Mixes.

Keywords

  • climate change policy
  • Complexity theory
  • international relations
  • network analysis.

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