Systemic intermediaries and transformative climate governance capacities in cities : A case study of the Strategic Innovation Programme Viable Cities

Abstract: The role of intermediation in the development of transformative climate governance capacities in cities is insufficiently examined, which is concerning given that research on transformative climate governance  has shown low degrees of  actual capacity on-the ground. As transformative climate governance is produced in the relational activities of urban stakeholders, the potential role intermediary actors can play in strengthening transformative governance capacities in cities warrants in-depth investigation.  The aim of this study  is to  examine the role intermediaries can play in advancing transformative climate governance capacities in cities, using the case of the Swedish Strategic Innovation Programme (SIP) Viable Cities and the work they do in supporting cities towards climate neutrality.  The study uses four dimensions of transformative climate governance capacity - stewarding capacity, unlocking capacity, transformative capacity, and orchestrating capacity  -  to examine what kinds of transformative climate governance capacities Viable Cities promote and incentivize as an intermediary working together with a network of several cities, varying in size and geographical location.  The study adopted a qualitative case-study approach, examining  Viable Cities through interviews with practitioners as well as participatory observations and document analysis.  The results show that Viable Cities stimulate novelty creation and identification of possible application contexts, while creating alignment and strengthening linkages between actors and resources, specifically between the networks of municipalities they engage with and the institutions they enlist to develop the conditions necessary for cities to become climate neutral. The results also indicate that Viable Cities put great emphasis on transformative capacity and orchestrating capacity through the strategies and tools they utilize, while lesser emphasis lies on stewarding capacity and unlocking capacity. This is not surprising, given the explicit focus Viable Cities has on stimulating innovation and facilitating collaboration – both in their own way of working as well as the strategies and tools they promote towards the participating municipalities.  The application of the transformative climate governance framework to the case of Viable Cities and the intermediation they perform across several cities was a novel feature of this study. The concept of transformative climate governance capacities have proven useful to assess what kinds of transformative climate governance intermediaries promote and incentivize for entities they engage with, and it can potentially be used as a tool to improve strategies to ensure that they actually have the potential to contribute to transformative climate governance.