The wickedness of net-zero policy: scales in policy discourse
The wickedness of net-zero policy: scales in policy discourse
Broad goals on climate change are largely set at international and national levels, whereas the tangible action required to tackle the challenge of climate change is essentially implemented at a local and individual level. The paper investigates how international policy discourses on climate change are adapted in local government, analysing a data set from a council debate in Germany about the EU programme ‘100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030’ and the textual and discursive networks created by that debate. The analysis is based on recordings from the council and committee debates, the different versions of motions, as well as the broader textual networks produced by the debate. Although the debate did not result in this city taking part in the programme, it initiated a wider debate within the urban society and increased the influence of local policy expertise. The article contributes to the agenda of critical policy discourse analysis by outlining the role of epistemological and ontological scales in the connection of global and local policy discourses, which contribute to the complexity and wickedness of climate change as a policy problem.
Critical policy discourse analysis, European Union, Germany, climate change, local politics, net-zero, scales, wicked problems
Kranert, Michael
2054176a-2b70-491b-9ee7-5388ae25296f
10 February 2025
Kranert, Michael
2054176a-2b70-491b-9ee7-5388ae25296f
Abstract
Broad goals on climate change are largely set at international and national levels, whereas the tangible action required to tackle the challenge of climate change is essentially implemented at a local and individual level. The paper investigates how international policy discourses on climate change are adapted in local government, analysing a data set from a council debate in Germany about the EU programme ‘100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030’ and the textual and discursive networks created by that debate. The analysis is based on recordings from the council and committee debates, the different versions of motions, as well as the broader textual networks produced by the debate. Although the debate did not result in this city taking part in the programme, it initiated a wider debate within the urban society and increased the influence of local policy expertise. The article contributes to the agenda of critical policy discourse analysis by outlining the role of epistemological and ontological scales in the connection of global and local policy discourses, which contribute to the complexity and wickedness of climate change as a policy problem.
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The wickedness of net-zero policy scales in policy discourse
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Accepted/In Press date: 2 February 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 February 2025
Published date: 10 February 2025
Keywords:
Critical policy discourse analysis, European Union, Germany, climate change, local politics, net-zero, scales, wicked problems
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Local EPrints ID: 498890
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/498890
ISSN: 1740-5904
PURE UUID: 54275581-1166-4634-9c23-53be4812a28b
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Date deposited: 04 Mar 2025 17:51
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:25
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