Multilevel governance for local climate action: Examining multilevel climate governance in the Indian cities of Rajkot, Thane and Nagpur

Numerous studies have discussed the importance of multilevel governance for enhancing climate action at the urban level. However, there remains limited knowledge on the proliferation of multilevel climate governance in the Global South. Addressing this gap, this study aims to explore the implementation of multilevel climate governance at the urban level through a case study analysis of three Indian cities, namely, Rajkot, Thane and Nagpur. It focuses on multilevel climate governance facilitated through the Urban-LEDS II project, implemented by ICLEI and UN-Habitat, supporting local governments in the development and implementation of low emission development strategies (LEDS). In more detail, this study seeks to answer the questions of how multilevel climate governance is implemented at the city level, the perceived barriers and enabling factors and the role of intermediaries. An analytical framework, developed based on a review of multilevel governance literature, further structures the analysis highlighting the role of local, state and national actors, the modes of urban climate governance and the challenges affecting intermediation. Document analysis and semi structured interviews were used to collect data. The results show that climate action in all three cities was driven by local ambitions, with minimal influence from higher level mandates, indicating a hybrid multilevel governance framework. The strategy formulation and implementation were coordinated by cross-sectoral steering committees consisting of both state and non-state actors, indicating a multilevel policy making approach. However, this was challenged by factors such as limited technical and financial support from national and state governments. Intermediaries sought to address this gap by strengthening technical and financial capacities, promoting knowledge dissemination and facilitating interaction between multiple governance levels. Finally, recommendations to further strengthen multilevel climate governance in the three cities are provided, including, enhancing the capacity of state governments to govern local climate action, establishing a central climate funding framework and mainstreaming national-local interaction