Item – Theses Canada

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OCLC number
743389724
Link(s) to full text
LAC copy
LAC copy
Author
Gordon, David J.,1978-
Title
Lament for a network : a comparative case study analysis of the impacts of the Partners for Climate Protection network on climate change policy in two Canadian cities.
Degree
M.A. -- University of Manitoba, 2008
Publisher
Ottawa : Library and Archives Canada = Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, [2010]
Description
2 microfiches
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstract
The actions of Canadian municipalities, working alone and together via linkage networks, demonstrate the existence of a multi-layered and multi-speed response to climate change in Canada, and point to the importance of a multilevel approach in attempts to discern the current state of domestic climate change policy. This thesis aims to explore the impact of one linkage network, the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP), as a key variable in explaining the divergent policy responses to climate change that have emerged in Canadian municipalities. Specifically, this thesis asks: 'Does the influence of the PCP help to explain the different stages of political engagement with the issue of climate change in Canadian cities?' Using a comparative case study analysis and insights drawn from the theoretical and applied literature on constructivism and multilevel governance, this study examines the impact of the PCP on two member cities: Winnipeg and Toronto. The results of qualitative analysis, based on a combination of elite actor interviews and primary document research, are a series of four linked conclusions: the impact of the PCP is most evident in fostering engagement with the issue of climate change and getting it on to the local political agenda; the impact of the PCP appears to be inversely related to the institutional capacity of the member city; the PCP is constrained, primarily, by a lack of funding and resources, leading to a significant incapacity to "network the network;" and, multilevel governance in Canada is strongly constrained by the federal level of government, although new and innovative means to increase the autonomy and impact of sub- and non-state actors are emerging.
ISBN
9780494489710
0494489715