Do institutional structures matter? A comparative analysis of urban carbon management policies in the UK and Germany
Do institutional structures matter? A comparative analysis of urban carbon management policies in the UK and Germany
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.01.002
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发表时间：
2016-02
影响因子：
6.1
通讯作者：
G. Marsden;Stefan Groer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
G. Marsden;Stefan Groer
本文探讨了制度结构对城市交通气候变化政策实施的重要影响。它考察了英国和德国七个不同制度结构的城市的战略目标、运行中的政策工具和碳减排的初步进展。英国有强大的国家碳目标和强大的国家-地方政府等级关系，而德国在地方和地区政府更强大的背景下，拥有更综合的地方运输供应系统。我们的研究结果表明，碳议程对城市实际情况的影响微乎其微。在所有地点，正在取得进展，但主要是通过技术改进，几乎完全被人口增长所抵消。即使在一体化程度较高的城市环境中，也没有额外的刺激措施来管理旅行需求。因此，与之前的研究相反，我们不能得出制度结构在提供有效的碳减排政策方面至关重要的结论。英国和德国的制度结构与碳管理并不完全一致，但考虑到大多数交通干预的交叉政策影响，这可能是不可避免的。然而，我们可以清楚地得出结论，“更好”的结构不足以实现更有效的碳政策的实施。虽然制度结构必须发挥作用，但目前似乎主导碳议程和实施路径的是更广泛的治理环境、交通政策所涉及的资源和政治。
The paper addresses the important question of how institutional structures matter to the delivery of climate change policy for urban transport. It examines the strategic goals, policy tools in operation and initial progress towards carbon emission reduction in seven cities across the UK and Germany where different institutional structures exist. The UK has the presence of a strong national carbon target and strong hierarchical national–local government relationships whilst Germany has a more integrated system of local transport provision in a context where local and regional government is stronger. Our findings show that the carbon agenda has made very little difference to what is happening on the ground in the cities. Across all sites, progress is being made but largely through technological improvements which are being almost completely offset by population growth. Even in the more integrated city environments there has not be an additional stimulus to manage the demand for travel.Contrary to previous research therefore, we cannot conclude that institutional structures are paramount in delivering effective carbon reduction policies. The institutional structures in the UK and in Germany are not perfectly aligned to carbon management but, given the cross policy impacts of most transport interventions, this is perhaps inevitable. We can clearly conclude however that “better” structures are not sufficient to achieve the implementation of more effective carbon policies. Whilst institutional structures must matter, it is the broader governance environment and the resources and politics involved in transport policy that currently seem to dominate the importance of the carbon agenda and implementation paths that emerge.