The Rural Policy Learning Commons [1] is hosting a free webinar titled, “Polycentric Governance in Climate Change Policies". The webinar will feature Lissel Hernandez-Gongora, a candidate in the Rural Studies PhD program at the University of Guelph. A brief description of the webinar is listed below:

Globally and in Canada, current climate change mitigation and adaptation policies are polycentric because they include different levels (local, regional, national, international) and different sectors (public and private sector, NGOs, indigenous people). Polycentric Governance has the potential to facilitate tasks such as information sharing, knowledge exchange/learning, financial coordination, conflict resolution and creation of trust. Polycentric governance does not automatically translate into positive impacts in achieving climate change mitigation goals. Efforts to create functional institutional arrangements might exceed the actual implementation of strategies and action plans. When adopting a polycentric approach in climate change policy, some recommendation are: Developing adequate information sharing tools and a clear message, promoting capacity development for local actors, building in past experiences by exchanging best practices, creating internal rules to solve potential conflict, promoting transparency in decision-making and implementation.

The upcoming webinar is free to attend, however, registration is requested. Please register for the webinar here [2]. The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development is a member of the Rural Policy Learning Commons.