Catchment management in the developed world is undergoing a fundamental reconfiguration in which top-down governance is being challenged by local organisations promoting collaborative decisionmaking. Local, participation-based organisations are emerging as mediators of relations between governments and publics. These organisations, defined here as participatory catchment organisations (PCOs), are emergent at a time when developed world catchment management is itself undergoing substantial change. Through in-depth engagement with four PCOs, and using six case studies, we identify the principles associated with successful problem resolution. The findings illustrate the importance of PCOs as two-way bridges between publics and governments. We identify three principles shared by these organisations (i.e. trust brokers, collaborative decisionmaking and win-wins) that show how, through participatory approaches founded on trust, complex problems can be resolved in ways that do not unduly punish groups or individuals. In conclusion, we identify four questions that highlight the need to consider the practicality of evolving relations amongst governments, publics, and the organisations that have come to mediate catchment management.

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Interrogating participatory catchment organisations: cases from Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and the Scottish–English Borderlands

Interest in Community Benefits (CB) has increased over the past decade mainly due to the growing number of wind farms and related criticism. Because CB are a voluntary gesture by the developer, there is no standard practice or institutionalised approach for good governance of the benefits; every community has a different approach, tailored to local needs and depending on the stakeholders involved. Additionally, since CB are a rapidly emerging practice, little is known about their governance, what actors are involved and how affected communities participate in decision-making on renewable projects. Using the Farr wind farm in Scotland, one of the first to introduce CB, as a case study, this paper sheds light on the governance structures surrounding the set-up, management and allocation of funds. It also contributes to the emerging body of work regarding transparency and community participation in CB, and the extent to which these might facilitate a transition to a low-carbon future.

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Getting low-carbon governance right: learning from actors involved in Community Benefits

........................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... vi Table of

The role of agents for change in the sustainable development of wave energy in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland

..............................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..............................................................................iv DECLARATION .........................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF PUBLICATIONS BY THE CANDIDATE ............................................................ xv CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 2 1.

Climate change, rainwater harvesting and private water systems : perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours in Scotland

Climate change and carbon mitigation are key issues for local government. This paper evaluates carbon actions by 32 local councils in Queensland, Australia. A climate action framework and carbon management matrix were used to assess corporate citizenship by councils on emissions reduction. This study found carbon actions related to council size and capacity, coastal location and climate change strategies. Carbon mitigation actions were mainly implemented by city, then regional and lastly shire councils. Carbon leadership was mainly evident among larger councils (>30,000 population), that have climate change plans and targets. Coastal and metropolitan councils were more ‘carbon-ready’ (i.e. consolidating or mainstreaming carbon actions) than smaller inland rural councils (i.e. latent or emerging actions). Most Queensland councils were minimalistic or opportunistic in adopting eco-efficiency actions while a few progressively integrated low carbon measures in council operations. The paper identifies key issues for local government in transitioning to a low carbon future. O Climate change

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Carbon Management by Queensland Local Councils: Citizenship for Transitioning to a Low Carbon Future

Effective climate change actions demand collaborative action from public bodies at all levels, placing local governance at the forefront of delivery. Scottish legislation imposes some of the most demanding legally-binding requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions currently to be found anywhere in the world. The new climate change obligations on Scottish local government are reviewed in the context of current Scottish emissions and UK energy policies. Analysis indicates that the pattern of carbon consumption rather than its production must be targeted, and that local government is well-placed to deliver many of the policies to this end. Case studies of Fife and Highland Councils show how Scottish local authorities (SLAs) are planning to discharge their climate change mitigation and adaptation responsibilities. Energy efficiency is driving the mitigation of carbon consumption, while new techniques for measuring carbon footprints are being used to adapt the development process to a low carbon mode. SLAs must pursue low-cost local climate change solutions not just to enhance the resilience of Scottish communities but also to demonstrate the feasibility of such approaches for local governance systems elsewhere in the face of growing financial constraints. Recent changes in Scottish waste management practices indicate the potential in this respect.

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Public Sector Responses to Climate Change: Evaluating the Role of Scottish Local Government in Implementing the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

The impact of environmental governance on the delivery of local climate change plans is examined by comparing two transatlantic sub-national jurisdictions which have adopted stringent targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Scotland and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The former relies on dirigiste top-down environmental governance, through which central government sets targets and imposes statutory duties that apply equally to all local councils. In the latter, a bottom-up multi-level form of environmental governance has emerged to compensate for the absence of a federal mandate. Specific action plans from a climate change pioneer in each location are assessed to test the strengths and limitations of these alternative modes of environmental governance: Portland in Oregon and Fife in Scotland. The Scottish dirigiste approach offers its local councils a consistent policy framework, allowing them to focus on specific measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while avoiding concerns about free-rider effects from non-participating councils. The asymmetrical uptake of climate change measures by United States municipalities exposes their domestic market to the risks of carbon leakage that America sought to avoid in global markets during negotiations over the Kyoto Protocol.

William Lynch

Papers

Public Sector Responses to Climate Change: Evaluating the Role of Scottish Local Government in Implementing the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

Fishing from the same pool: the influence of environmental governance on local climate change actions in scotland and the us pacific northwest