U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
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U ban Go e nance
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Enhancing local go e nance o clima e ac ion: A guiding concep ual
amewo k
Es ibaliz Sanz
a
,
∗
, Lo enzo Chelle i
b
,
c
,Aline Chiabai
a
, Ma ia José Sanz
a
a
Basque Cen e o Clima e Change (BC3), Leioa, Spain
b
Uni e si a In e nacional de Ca alunya (UIC), Ba celona, Spain
c
Ba celona Ins i u e o Science and Technology (BIST), Ba celona, Spain
a i c l e i n o
Key wo ds:
Clima e eme gency
Clima e go e nance
Local go e nance
Capaci y building
Clima e ac ion
U ban heal h
a b s a c
This pape add esses he clima e go e nance in o de o guide and boos in eg a ed solu ions while implemen ing
solu ions o bo h he clima e and he heal h c ises. Despi e he p oli e a ion o clima e eme gency decla a ions by
local go e nmen s, he e is a g owing conce n ega ding hei limi ed impac on eal clima e ac ion. In addi ion,
a g ea numbe o clima e plans and s a egies a e in place, while li le a en ion is de o ed on how o assess
and boos implemen a ion and capaci ies o pu hem in o p ac ice. To add ess hese gaps, his pape p esen s
a concep ual amewo k o guide local go e nmen s on he effec i e implemen a ion and p omo ion o clima e
policies.
The amewo k has been guided by a comp ehensi e li e a u e e iew and in-dep h in e iews wi h policy make s
and echnical s aff o in Spain. The esul ing amewo k ep esen s and inno a i e app oach ha inco po a e h ee
dis inc “ ac o s ” — clima e s a egic decisions, capaci y building and psychosocial in ol emen —, which ha e
been u he di ided in o 18 de e minan s and 53 co esponding indica o s.
The de elopmen o his amewo k se es wo p ima y pu poses. Fi s ly, i aims o p o ide a comp ehensi e ap-
p oach o explo e he po en ial oppo uni ies inhe en in local go e nance o effec i ely d i ing clima e policies.
Secondly, i seeks o se e as a guiding ool o local go e nmen s in o mula ing and ad ancing hei clima e
policies by u ilizing he ac o s, de e minan s, and indica o s inco po a ed wi hin he concep ual amewo k.
Las ly, he in eg a ion o he heal h pe spec i e wi hin his amewo k acili a es he iden ifica ion and ha ness-
ing o syne gies and benefi s ha can a ise om he in e sec ion o clima e and heal h policies, emphasizing he
impo ance o no neglec ing his c ucial aspec .
1. In oduc ion
Since 2019 clima e eme gency decla a ions ha e been conside ed o
be amongs he mos impac ul “ac ions ” aken by local go e nmen s
in esponse o global wa ming, indica ing a s ong commi men and
call o p omp ac ions ( Da idson e al., 2020 ; McHugh e al., 2021 ).
This mo emen has gained suppo om a ious scien is s, poli icians,
and ac i is s, who iew i as a u h ul and effec i e message capable o
mo i a ing poli ical ac ion. Such decla a ions signal a undamen al and
p e iously unexplo ed shi in how clima e eme gency is pe cei ed by
scien is s, policy make s, and he gene al public ( McHugh e al., 2021 ).
These decla a ions and he ambi ious 2030 and 2050 clima e neu al-
i y a ge s exp essed by many municipal go e nmen s equi e a no able
shi in he app oach o local au ho i ies owa ds collabo a ing wi h
hei pa ne s and communi ies o add ess he impac o clima e change,
no only a ci y cen es le els —as i is now happening —, bu also in
∗ Co esponding au ho .
E-mail add ess: [email p o ec ed] (E. Sanz) .
he me opoli an a eas and wi hin egions (
Palme e al., 2021 ) and
coun ies. Success in achie ing hese goals is dependen upon he im-
plemen a ion o ans o ma i e, a ge ed, and ime-sensi i e measu es
ha p esen oppo uni ies o in igo a e and imp o e economies and so-
cie ies by engaging wi h social mo emen s, social sciences, and human-
i ies ( Knu i., 2019 ).
Despi e he se iousness o he clima e eme gency and he g owing
p essu e, nume ous s udies ha e indica ed ha poli ical and collec i e
ac ions all sho o wha is equi ed o add ess he u gency o he si u-
a ion ( Gills & Mo gan., 2020 ; Da idson e al., 2020 ). The mos c ucial
s ep a his poin is o begin hinking and ac ing u gen ly, ea ing he
clima e c isis as an ac ual eme gency ( Gills & Mo gan, 2020 ). Howe e ,
local au ho i ies ace a ious challenges ha hinde hei abili y o c e-
a e an app op ia e en i onmen o such changes ( Palme e al., 2021 ).
Recen esea ch has e ealed ha only a mino i y o ci ies and munici-
pali ies ha ha e decla ed a clima e eme gency ha e ollowed up wi h
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.ugj.2025.09.002
Recei ed 27 Ma ch 2024; Recei ed in e ised o m 2 Sep embe 2025; Accep ed 16 Sep embe 2025
A ailable online 20 Sep embe 2025
2664-3286/© 2025 The Au ho (s). Published by Else ie B.V. on behal o Shanghai Jiao Tong Uni e si y. This is an open access a icle unde he CC BY license
( h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/ )
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
decisi e policies and acili a ed he necessa y mobiliza ion. Thus he
as majo i y ha e me ely aken symbolic ac ion ha does no ele a e
hei ambi ion beyond hei p e-exis ing clima e policies ( Chou, 2021 ;
Howa h e al., 2021 ; Ruiz-Campillo e al., 2021 ; Gills & Mo gan, 2020 )
. The eason o hese missing implemen a ions could be e ealed look-
ing a he complexi y o he clima e go e nance design o suppo im-
plemen a ion, which is no ye ully unde s ood. I is c ucial o unde -
s and wha oppo uni ies and challenges migh ma e ialize om he
new clima e policy aming and i s go e nance implica ions, as no ed
in ecen s udies ( McHugh e al., 2021 ). The limi ed implemen a ion
o hese decla a ions highligh s he complexi y o designing effec i e
go e nance amewo ks capable o d i ing ans o ma i e clima e ac-
ion. While he go e nance implica ions o clima e policy ha e been ac-
knowledged ( McHugh e al., 2021 ), exis ing amewo ks ha e no ully
explo ed how local go e nance can effec i ely deli e on hese ambi-
ious a ge s. This unde sco es he need o inno a i e and in eg a ed
app oaches o enhance he capaci y o local go e nmen s o ac .
Nume ous app oaches ha e been employed in p io esea ch o in-
es iga e he connec ion be ween go e nance and clima e change poli-
cies. Howe e , hese amewo ks ha e only pa ially cap u ed local go -
e nance’s capaci y o implemen apid and comp ehensi e clima e ac-
ion. Fo example, Olazabal e al. (2019) de eloped an e alua ion ame-
wo k o assess he c edibili y o adap a ion planning, while Fo d and
King (2015) p oposed a amewo k o e alua e eadiness by iden i ying
key adap a ion ac o s. Addi ionally, Keeney & McDaniels (2001) sug-
ges ed an adap i e decision amewo k o s imula e in e ac i e e al-
ua ion o clima e policy op ions. Runhaa e al. (2016) empha-
sized p epa edness and accoun abili y o clima e adap a ion. Mean-
while, Mees e al. (2014) p oposed a sys ema ic me hod o assess-
ing and selec ing policy ins umen s o encou age adap a ion. Recen ly,
Uliba i e al. (2022) examined he equi y implica ions o adap a ion
ools. While hese amewo ks offe aluable insigh s, hey all sho o
being holis ic. They o en ocus on specific aspec s, such as eadiness o
policy ins umen s, and lack in eg a ion o c i ical dimensions such as
mul i-sec o al collabo a ion, capaci y-building, and heal h co-benefi s,
which a e essen ial o ans o ma i e clima e policies by local go e -
nance.
This esea ch p oposes a no el concep ual amewo k o add ess
hese gaps. The amewo k uniquely in eg a es clima e policy wi h pub-
lic heal h conside a ions o p omo e syne gies and co-benefi s. This in-
no a ion builds on he g owing ecogni ion o he in e dependence be-
ween u ban li abili y, physical and men al heal h, and clima e mi i-
ga ion and adap a ion measu es ( Fox e al., 2019 ; Haines & Ebi, 2019 ;
Fe ini e al., 2020 ). Recen findings, such as hose p esen ed by he
Lance Coun down ( Wa s e al., 2021 ; Romanello e al., 2022 ), unde -
sco e he c i ical ole o heal h in shaping effec i e clima e policy. This
in eg a ion is pa icula ly ele an in a pos -COVID-19 con ex , whe e
he co-benefi s o clima e ac ion ex end beyond en i onmen al ou comes
o imp o e public heal h and socie al esilience ( Newell & Dale, 2021 )
The ocus on heal h and clima e eflec s he amewo k’s holis ic
na u e. Public heal h se es as a lens h ough which b oade ecolog-
ical, economic, and social ac o s a e conside ed, as heal h ou comes
a e in insically ied o hese domains. By inco po a ing heal h in o he
amewo k, his esea ch add esses no only he di ec impac s o clima e
policies bu also hei b oade implica ions o equi y, sus ainabili y, and
communi y well-being.
This esea ch add esses he ollowing ques ions: (1) Wha enable s
and capaci ies a e equi ed wi hin local go e nmen s o design effec i e
clima e ac ions? (2) How can local capaci y-building effo s be s eng h-
ened o suppo his challenge? (3) Wha beha io al elemen s and mech-
anisms can enhance socie al pa icipa ion? (4) How can o e laps be-
ween clima e and heal h policies be iden ified and le e aged o maxi-
mize he impac o clima e ac ions? This pape explo es hese ques ions
h ough he de elopmen o a concep ual amewo k, p o iding munic-
ipal officials wi h a obus ool o guide he design and implemen a ion
o clima e ac ions.
2. Me hodology and esea ch design
This s udy employed a mul i-s age me hodology o de elop a com-
p ehensi e amewo k o effec i e clima e go e nance, in eg a ing
heal h co-benefi s wi hin local clima e ac ion. The me hodology con-
sis ed o a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew and semi-s uc u ed in e iews,
using Spain as a case s udy.
[Fi s , a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew was conduc ed o iden i y ex-
is ing obs acles and enable s in clima e go e nance amewo ks. The e-
iew encompassed 112 a icles sou ced om majo academic da abases,
including Scopus, Web o Science, and Google Schola . To cap u e he
b ead h o esea ch wi hin his field, sea ch e ms included "clima e go -
e nance," "local clima e ac ion," and "heal h co-benefi s." This sea ch o-
cused on publica ions om 2000 o 2023, allowing us o ga he bo h
ounda ional and con empo a y pe spec i es on clima e policy in e-
g a ion. By sys ema ically analyzing his body o li e a u e, we iden-
ified c i ical gaps ha his amewo k seeks o add ess, specifically he
need o a mul i-sec o al, heal h-in eg a ed app oach wi hin local go -
e nance.]To complemen he sys ema ic e iew o scien ific and g ey
li e a u e, 42 semi-s uc u ed in e iews we e conduc ed wi h echni-
cal and poli ical pe sonnel om a ious municipali ies ac oss Spain.
Pa icipan s included ep esen a i es om majo u ban cen e s such
as Ba celona (Manage o En i onmen and U ban Se ices and Di ec-
o o he Office o Clima e Change and Sus ainabili y), Bilbao (Coun-
cillo and Technicians om he Depa men o Mobili y and Sus ain-
abili y o Bilbao Ci y Council), Donos ia-San Sebas ián (Di ec o and
Technicians om he Depa men o En i onmen o San Sebas ián Ci y
Council and echnical s aff om he Municipal Cen e o En i onmen-
al Resou ces), Mad id (Depu y Di ec o Gene al o Ene gy and Clima e
Change a Mad id Ci y Council and echnicians om he Depa men o
Ene gy and Clima e Change), Mu cia (Di ec o and echnical s aff om
he Local Ene gy and Clima e Change Agency), Valencia (Gene al Co-
o dina o o U ban S a egies and Sus ainable Agenda and he Head o
he Inno a ion Se ice a Valencia Ci y Council), and Vi o ia-Gas eiz
(Councillo o Te i o y and Clima e Ac ion). Addi ionally, in e iews
we e conduc ed wi h policymake s and echnical s aff om medium-
sized and smalle municipali ies in he Basque Coun y. Fu he in e -
iews included key s akeholde s om esea ch ins i u ions, NGOs, and
public sec o o ganiza ions such as Fundación ECODES, ISGlobal, and
he Ba celona Heal h Agency. This di e se ep esen a ion p o ided a
comp ehensi e unde s anding o clima e go e nance and u ban heal h
in Spain.
Pa icipan s we e selec ed h ough pu posi e sampling o ensu e di-
e se ep esen a ion ac oss diffe en go e nance le els and geog aphic
scales. The selec ion c i e ia ocused on indi iduals wi h di ec in ol e-
men in clima e ac ion, go e nance, and public heal h policy. This ap-
p oach ensu ed he inclusion o pe spec i es om la ge ci ies, medium-
sized municipali ies, smalle owns, and key sec o s such as academia,
NGOs, and public ins i u ions. Rec ui men was conduc ed h ough di-
ec in i a ions and e e als, a ge ing p o essionals whose expe ise
aligned wi h he s udy’s objec i es.
The in e iews we e conduc ed in h ee dis inc phases, ollowing a
s uc u ed and i e a i e amewo k:
1. Phase 1: Valida ion o Fac o s
In his ini ial phase, pa icipan s we e asked o alida e and con as
he h ee p ima y ac o s iden ified in he li e a u e e iew: clima e
policy, capaci y building, and psychosocial engagemen . They p o-
ided insigh s in o he ba ie s and oppo uni ies associa ed wi h
implemen ing hese ac o s in hei espec i e municipali ies, offe -
ing p ac ical pe spec i es o complemen heo e ical findings.
2. Phase 2: E alua ion o De e minan s and Indica o s
The second phase ocused on e iewing and assessing specific se s
o de e minan s and indica o s o each ac o . These de e minan s
and indica o s, de i ed om he li e a u e e iew, we e e alua ed
by pa icipan s o de e mine hei ele ance and applicabili y o lo-
456
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
cal go e nance con ex s. Feedback om his phase in o med efine-
men s o he p oposed amewo k.
3. Phase 3: Refinemen o he F amewo k
In he final phase, discussions wi h key expe s in u ban clima e go -
e nance and public heal h we e conduc ed o efine and consolida e
he amewo k. This phase emphasized he amewo k’s p ac ical ap-
plicabili y and i s alignmen wi h eal-wo ld go e nance challenges.
The in e iew da a we e ansc ibed e ba im and analyzed manu-
ally using hema ic analysis o iden i y ecu ing hemes and pa e ns.
The analysis ollowed an induc i e app oach, allowing o he eme -
gence o new hemes ha en iched he amewo k. Key insigh s we e
sys ema ically ca ego ized in o ma ices o ganized by ac o s, de e mi-
nan s, and indica o s. This s uc u e acili a ed he iden ifica ion o in-
e dependencies be ween elemen s o he amewo k and ensu ed co-
he ence wi h findings om he li e a u e e iew.
Spain was chosen as he p ima y case s udy o his esea ch due o
i s p oac i e s ance on clima e policy and i s di e se municipal land-
scape. This se ing offe s a unique oppo uni y o examine clima e go -
e nance challenges and oppo uni ies ac oss diffe en le els o local go -
e nmen . Spain’s commi men o ambi ious clima e goals, coupled wi h
he a iabili y in go e nance s uc u es be ween i s u ban and u al a -
eas, makes i an ideal con ex o es ing and efining he amewo k’s
applicabili y. While his amewo k is designed o align wi h he spe-
cific clima e policy landscape o Spain, i s p inciples, de e minan s, and
indica o s a e adap able o simila in e na ional con ex s, enabling i s
po en ial applica ion in egions acing pa allel go e nance challenges
and policy objec i es.]
3. Resul s and discussion
3.1. The guiding concep ual amewo k and i s h ee ac o s: clima e
s a egic policy, capaci y building, and psychosocial in ol emen
The ou comes o his esea ch ha e con ibu ed o he de elopmen
o a comp ehensi e concep ual amewo k ha se es as a guide o un-
de s anding a complex phenomenon. This amewo k is based on h ee
key ac o s ha we e iden ified h ough an ex ensi e e iew o exis ing
li e a u e and he con as p ocess. These ac o s a e in ica ely linked
o each o he , emphasizing hei in e dependencies.
On he one hand, o p o ide a mo e in-dep h unde s anding o each
ac o , hey a e u he di ided in o de e minan s. These de e minan s
explo e specific dimensions o componen s o each ac o , enabling a
mo e de ailed analysis. By b eaking down he ac o s in o de e minan s,
esea che s can examine and e alua e he indi idual elemen s ha con-
ibu e o he o e all phenomenon. On he o he hand, o acili a e a
mo e comp ehensi e analysis, each de e minan is u he subdi ided
in o indica o s. These indica o s allow o a g anula examina ion o
he a ious cha ac e is ics associa ed wi h a pa icula de e minan . In
o he wo ds, by using hese indica o s, i is possible o de elop he as-
sessmen and measu emen o specific a ibu es o a iables ha a e
ele an o he de e minan unde in es iga ion.
O e all, his esea ch es ablishes a guiding concep ual amewo k
ha ou lines he h ee in e connec ed ac o s, hei de e minan s, and
espec i e indica o s ( Fig. 1 ). This amewo k p o ides a s uc u ed ap-
p oach o analyse and unde s and he phenomenon, suppo ing deepe
explo a ion o i s unde lying componen s.
In his way, he p oposed guiding concep ual amewo k allows o
a deep explo a ion o he ollowing undamen al aspec s: (1) he capac-
i y o s a egic policy decision-making, (2) he municipal s uc u e ha
acili a es he implemen a ion o clima e and heal h s a egies, and (3)
he mechanisms o os e ing ci izen in ol emen and communi y en-
gagemen . Thus, as ep esen ed in Fig. 2 below, h ee key ac o s ha e
been p oposed, which a e c i ical o enhancing he capaci y o local
go e nmen s in p omo ing clima e ac ion: i) clima e s a egy ii) capac-
i y building, and iii) psychosocial in ol emen .
The h ee ac o s we e iden ified esponding o diffe en needs. The
Clima e S a egy ac o esponds o he need o highligh he impo -
ance, om a policy and s a egic pe spec i e, he local go e nmen s’
capaci y o design and implemen hei clima e s a egies in eg a ing
he heal h pe spec i e. Ou analysis highligh ed he impo ance o ha -
ing s ong and consensus-based policies among poli ical pa ies and so-
cie y ha d i e he implemen a ion o clima e ac ion and ensu e hei
sus ainabili y o e ime. This ac o includes de e minan s such as legi i-
macy ( Cashmo e & Wejs, 2014 ; Keski alo & Pe e sson, 2016 ), cohe ence
( Wamsle , 2015 ; Ui enb oek, 2016 ), s abili y ( C. Ui enb oek, 2014 ;
Runhaa e al.;, 2018 ), equi y and social jus ice ( Reckien e al.;, 2017 ),
in ol emen o he p i a e and financial sec o ( Cole, 2015 ; Ma ínez &
Ramos, 2019 ; Bulkeley & Newell, 2015 ) and in eg a ion ( Reckien e al.,
2019 ; C. Ui enb oek, 2014 ; Wamsle , 2015 ). Add essing his ac o en-
ables he assessmen o essen ial leade ship, consensus building among
di e se municipal poli ical ideologies, p io i iza ion o clima e goals in
he municipal manda e plan, budge alloca ion, and/o secu ing neces-
sa y financing o execu e planned ac i i ies, and a willingness o in e-
g a e wi h o he municipal policies. These a e some o he indica o s
ha will be explained in mo e de ail in he ollowing sec ion.
Conside ing he capaci y building ac o (see Fig. 2 ) enables assess-
men o he municipal managemen s uc u e’s s eng h o p omo e poli-
cies and in eg a e he heal h pe spec i e. Ul ima ely, hanks o i , i is
possible o e i y he exis ence o app op ia e ins i u ional s eng hen-
ing and inno a ion o add ess hese policies oge he . Th oughou he
in e iew p ocesses, i has been confi med ha municipal s uc u es and
ope a ions a e no well adap ed o he u gency o clima e change needs.
Addi ionally, he dis ibu ion o esponsibili ies among municipal a eas
lacks coo dina ion bo h wi hin he municipali y and wi h o he adminis-
a ions, c ea ing obs acles o add ess clima e change as a c oss-cu ing
and in e -ins i u ional issue ha needs o be mains eamed in municipal
policies. Based on he inpu p o ided by se e al in e iewed municipal
echnicians, he capaci y building ac o can be conside ed he "ha d-
wa e" o local adminis a ions in implemen ing clima e s a egies, while
clima e s a egy can be ega ded as he "so wa e" ha is mo e deci-
sion making o ien ed. The de e minan s o his ac o include human e-
sou ces and echnical aining ( Knu i, 2019 ; H. Bulkeley, 2010 ), s uc-
u al and me hodological suppo ( Wamsle , 2014 ); Ui enb oek (2016) ,
effec i eness ( C. Ui enb oek, 2014 ; Olazabal, 2019 ), and sou ces o
knowledge ( Knu i, 2019 ). The de elopmen o hese de e minan s en-
ables he iden ifica ion o indica o s such as he a ailabili y o human
and o ganiza ional esou ces, echnical aining o municipal s aff, p es-
ence o he necessa y bodies o coo dina e c oss-cu ing s a egies, and
sou ces o knowledge u ilized.
Finally, Psychosocial In ol emen is conside ed a c ucial ac o in
assessing he abili y o local go e nmen s o engage socie y and com-
muni y ac i ism. A la ge numbe o municipali ies exp essed hei us-
a ion o e he inadequa e in ol emen o ci izens and communi ies in
p omo ing clima e ac ion. They emphasized he c i ical need o del e
deepe in o he mechanisms ha can be implemen ed wi hin hei ju-
isdic ion o encou age and os e clima e ac ion. The de e minan s
ha con ibu e o his ac o include public pa icipa ion ( Aleg e, 2011 ;
Hue a e al., 2013 ); ideological inclusi i y ( Hoffman, 2015 ); com-
muni y ac i ism, ( Rose -Renou e al., 2014 ); effec i e communica-
ion ( Hoffman, 2015 ; Clay on, 2019 ); cogni i e and beha iou al de-
e minan s (Jon Naus dalslid, 2011 ; Hoffman, 2015 ); awa eness and
sensi i i y ( Meadowc o & Fio ino, 2017 ) and psychological ac o s
( Hoffman, 2015 ). As pe he s a emen s o a ew municipal echnicians
and poli ician who we e in e iewed, his ac o enables he conside a-
ion o he significance o communica ing he u gency o clima e change
in a way ha esona es wi h he emo ional aspec o he audience and
s esses i s effec s a he local le el. Fu he mo e, i emphasizes he im-
po ance o u ilizing c edible communica o s who can b idge poli ical
pola iza ion a ound clima e policies. This means o examine whe he
social ac o s ha e been inco po a ed o p e en clima e gen ifica ion,
and whe he he di ec impac o clima e change on heal h has been con-
457
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
Fig. 1. Concep ual amewo k design. Sou ce: p e-
pa ed by he au ho s.
Fig. 2. Concep ual amewo k. Sou ce: p epa ed by he au ho s.
eyed as one o he mos compelling a gumen s o effec i ely in ol ing
ci izens.
Las bu no leas , he esul s ha e e ealed he exis ence o a mul i-
ude o syne gies and co-benefi s be ween clima e eme gency and heal h
policies. Consequen ly, an e alua ion was conduc ed o de e mine he
deg ee o in eg a ion o a heal h pe spec i e ha accoun s o well-being
and equi y, consis en wi h he Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion’s (WHO) and
Plane a y Heal h app oach ( Ho on & Lo, 2015 ); Fox e al., 2019 ). These
app oaches define heal h as a s a e o comple e physical, men al, and so-
cial well-being, a he han solely he absence o disease o infi mi y,
and aims o achie e he highes possible le el o heal h, well-being,
and equi y globally h ough balanced a en ion o human, poli ical, eco-
nomic, social, and na u al sys ems wi hin plane a y bounda ies. This
pe spec i e acili a es he in eg a ion o human and plane a y heal h,
equi y and social jus ice, and hei inco po a ion in o public policies,
which a e undamen al componen s o he esea ch amewo k. I is
wo h no ing ha hese findings ha e significan implica ions o he de-
elopmen o policies and s a egies designed o p omo e he heal h and
well-being o popula ions, while simul aneously mi iga ing and adap -
ing he impac s o clima e change.
3.2. THE h ee ac o s AND ITS de e minan s AND indica o s
The guiding concep ual amewo k explo es and s uc u es he h ee
dis inc ac o s, i s 18 de e minan s men ioned abo e, in o a se o 53
co esponding indica o s. In he nex sec ions, we a e going o in oduce
and explo e all he de e minan s’ indica o s, eme ged om he li e a u e
and discussed/ e iewed h ough he in-dep h in e iews. This deep-di e
in o all he measu emen s eflec ing he Spanish con ex , a e anyway
inno a i e and unc ional o any in e na ional ci y o unde s anding
and in eg a ion o clima e and heal h policies.
3.2.1. De e mina s and indica o s o he clima e s a egy ac o
The fi s de e minan o he clima e s a egy ac o is legi imacy ,
which is conce ned wi h he c edibili y and socie al accep ance o
hese policies. I is essen ial o e alua e whe he he municipal co po-
a ion has adop ed a posi i e s ance owa ds such policies. A signifi-
can numbe o he in e iewed echnical and poli ical pe sonnel em-
phasized he necessi y o he municipal go e nmen being an inspi -
ing example. In his con ex , he scien ific li e a u e highligh s he im-
po ance o ins i u ional legi imacy o effec i e policy implemen a ion
( Cashmo e & Wejs, 2014 ; Sco e al., 2000 ). Acco ding o schola s such
as Fox e al. (2019) , heal h co-benefi s can enhance he legi imacy o
eme gency clima e s a egies. As showed in he Fig. 3 , legi imacy is
ca ego ized in o wo indica o s: egula o y legi imacy and exempla le-
gi imacy. egula o y legi imacy is linked o he need o local go e n-
men s o ake p io ac ions ha legi imize he de elopmen o egula o y
no ms. Fo ins ance, he decla a ion o a clima e eme gency o poli ical
commi men s o specific clima e mi iga ion and adap a ion objec i es.
On he o he hand, Exempla Legi imacy enables he e alua ion o he
public adminis a ion’s exempla y ole in implemen ing i s own clima e
and heal h policies.
The cohe ence de e minan is a use ul ool o assessing po en ial
conflic s ha may a ise among a ious municipal policies. Analysis o
in e iews showed ha inconsis encies among in e nal municipal poli-
cies we e occasionally p e alen . As in oduced by he li e a u e, en-
su ing poli ical, egula o y, economic, empo al, and s a egic cohe -
ence will also ensu e he consis ency and con inui y o hese s a egies
o e ime ( Runhaa e al., 2012 ; Wamsle , 2015 ; Ui enb oek, 2016 ). As
no ed by au ho s such as Runhaa e al. (2018) ; C. Ui enb oek (2014) ,
cohe ence in municipal policies is a c i ical indica o in ensu ing he
effec i e implemen a ion o clima e policies, om bo h poli ical and
economic/financial pe spec i es ( Sippel & Jenssen, 2009 ; H. Bulkeley,
2010 ; Runhaa e al., 2018 ; C. Ui enb oek, 2014 ). Fu he mo e, co-
he ence analysis can help o iden i y po en ial con adic ions be ween
municipal policies and heal h policies. As no ed by au ho s such as
Haines and Ebi (2019) ; Fe ini and Go i (2020) , he syne gies be ween
clima e change and heal h and well-being a e pa icula ly e iden a
he u ban le el. Imp o ing u ban li eabili y has a di ec impac on he
physical and men al heal h and o e all com o o ci izens. Thus, i is
impo an o ensu e ha policies in hese a eas a e cohe en wi h each
o he .
Based on he analysis o he consul ed scien ific li e a u e and ex-
pe in e iews, he e a e fi e indica o s ha cons i u e his de e minan
— poli ical, economic, fiscal, no ma i e, and empo al-s a egic cohe -
ence ( Runhaa e al., 2012 ; Wamsle , 2015 ; Ui enb oek, 2016 ). Poli -
ical cohe ence measu es he consis ency o local policies wi h adop ed
clima e and heal h goals. Economic cohe ence assesses he alignmen
o budge a y and financial plans wi h clima e planning. Fiscal cohe -
458
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
Fig. 3. De e minan s and indica o s ela ed o clima e s a egy ac o . Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho s.
ence e alua es he incen i iza ion o fiscal policies. No ma i e cohe -
ence gauges he absence o con adic ions be ween clima e planning,
municipal egula ions and he ex en o which egula ions suppo hese
effo s. Finally, empo al and s a egic cohe ence examines whe he he
planned ac ions a e aligned wi h go e nmen cycles and whe he hey
a e p ojec ed a oppo une imes, such as he enewal o u ban mas e
plans.
Th ough he compa a i e analysis o di e se local go e nmen s, i
has been concluded ha s abili y is a i al de e minan o ensu ing
he long- e m success and sus ainabili y o clima e policies. This finding
is consis en wi h he iews exp essed by schola s such as C. Ui en-
b oek (2014) and Runhaa e al. (2018) , who ha e unde sco ed he sig-
nificance o policy implemen a ion consis ency. Leade ship , as he fi s
indica o , plays a significan ole in de e mining he poli ical impe us
and suppo equi ed o achie ing clima e objec i es. I is wo h no ing
ha se e al o he poli ical figu es in e iewed emphasized he need o
"dis ibu ed leade ship" ha in ol es a ious municipal depa men s,
s akeholde s, ci il socie y, he p i a e sec o , among o he i al ac o s.
On he o he hand, in nume ous ecen publica ions, he impo ance
o obus leade ship ha inco po a es heal h and clima e policies has
been emphasized, wi h he aim o p e en ing public heal h om being
o e looked in clima e planning ( Fox e al., 2019 ; Haines & Ebi, 2019 ;
Fe ini e al., 2020 ; Wa s e al., 2021 ; Romanello e al., 2022 ).
The indica o o poli ical consensus is a c ucial me ic o as-
sessing he dedica ion o ad ancing and sus aining clima e s a e-
gies, as obse ed h oughou he conduc ed in e iews ( S ead & Mei-
je s, 2009 ; Runhaa e al., 2012 ; C. Ui enb oek e al., 2014 ; Wamsle
& Paulei , 2016 ). In addi ion, in a-municipal collabo a ion is a key ac-
o in assessing policy s abili y, as clima e change’s c oss-cu ing na-
u e equi es in eg a ion wi h o he municipal depa men s. Acco d-
ing wi h he in e iewed, he lack o coo dina ion among municipal
a eas due o hei own dis ibu ion o compe encies is a significan
ba ie o add essing c oss-cu ing issues such as clima e change and
heal h. Resea che s such as Runhaa e al. (2018) , Wamsle (2014) , and
Ui enb oek (2016) ha e discussed he ineffec i eness o en i onmen-
al depa men s wo king in isola ion. H. Bulkeley (2010) highligh ed
ha one o he main limi a ions was he exclusi e ocus on en i on-
men al depa men s o add essing clima e change, ins ead o a holis ic
and in eg a ed app oach ac oss all depa men s. In e -ins i u ional col-
labo a ion enables he ecogni ion o essen ial coo dina ion and coope -
a ion among a ious le els o public adminis a ion. Finally, au ho s like
Sippel and Jenssen (2009) and Quay (2010) p opose ha budge a y and
financial s abili y a e key indica o s o e alua e he economic easibili y
o hese s a egies and p omo e hem in an in eg a ed manne .
In acco dance wi h cu en scien ific discou se ad oca ed by
Reckien e al. (2017) and Anguelo ski e al. (2019) , he equi y and
social jus ice de e minan e alua es he ex en o which clima e s a e-
gies inco po a e he mos ulne able g oups. The inclusi e pe spec i e in-
dica o specifically assesses whe he hese policies conside he needs o
pa icula ly ulne able g oups and align wi h he Sus ainable De elop-
men Goals (SDGs). Addi ionally, he gende pe spec i e indica o helps
o iden i y whe he he pi o al ole o women as agen s o change in
communi ies has been acknowledged.
The equidis ibu i e policy indica o assesses whe he he compensa-
ion o he po en ial ad e se impac s on he mos ulne able commu-
ni ies has been adequa ely add essed. In addi ion, i is essen ial o ac-
knowledge he significance o hese policies being comp ehensi e and
he balance hey p o ide agains he effec s o "g een gen ifica ion"
( Anguelo ski e al., 2019 ). Mo eo e , in he con ex o acing clima e
c isis, i is impe a i e o es ablish uni e sal public heal h co e age o
e e yone, including hose who a e a isk o social exclusion ( Salas &
Jha, 2019 ; Fox e al., 2019 ; Wa s e al., 2021 ).
Rega ding he de e minan and i s homonymous indica o ,
he esul s emphasize he impo ance o in ol ing he p i a e
and economic sec o s as essen ial agen s in achie ing clima e
goals ( Glasbe gen e al. (2007) ; J.C.S. And ade and Puppim De
Oli ei a (2015) . By doing so, i becomes possible o e alua e whe he
hese sec o s a e commi ed o emission educ ion policies and o he
s a egies ha a e i al o add ess ca as ophic e en s, such as hose
ela ed o public heal h. While p e ious s udies ha e shown ha he
p i a e sec o can ha e a significan influence on he design and imple-
men a ion o clima e policies, i is essen ial o ensu e ha indi idual
in e es s do no conflic wi h public and global in e es s in he figh
agains clima e change. No wi hs anding he acknowledgmen o he
subs an ial impo ance o p i a e sec o engagemen , i is s ill a an
ea ly s age o de elopmen , as obse ed du ing he in e iews and
li e a u e e iew.
Fu he mo e, he in ol emen o he financial sec o is also c ucial in
he ansi ion o a low-ca bon economy, gi en i s abili y o channel
unds in o sus ainable in es men s. The financial sec o can also play
a ole in financing he necessa y in es men s o adap a ion and eco -
e y om damages caused by ad e se wea he e en s, which can sig-
nifican ly ha e an impac on public heal h ( Ma ínez & Ramos, 2019 );
Bulkeley & Newell, 2015 ; Sulli an., 2014 ; Ag awala e al., 2011 ). De-
spi e he significance o ecei ing suppo om he financial sec o , none
o he ci ies and municipali ies in e iewed indica ed ha ing a financial
ag eemen in place wi h his sec o .
The effec i eness o clima e policies a he municipal le el depends
on hei in eg a ion , which affec clima e goals and he heal h pe spec-
i e. This finding has been consis en ly obse ed h oughou he in e -
iew p ocesses. To assess his in eg a ion, Reckien e al. (2019) p o-
pose a se o indica o s. Fi s , exclusi e dedica ion o clima e planning ,
which e alua es whe he clima e planning is in eg a ed in o he mu-
nicipal polices. Second, he pa ial in eg a ion assesses i pa ially a -
ious ypes o sec o plans conside clima e change du ing hei de el-
opmen . Thi d, he egula o y in eg a ion indica o e alua es he need
o modi y o mal and in o mal planning p ocedu es, such as egula-
ions, policies, and legisla ion, o in eg a e clima e policies ( Wamsle &
Paulei , 2016 ). Finally, he collabo a i e in eg a ion indica o examines
whe he changes a e being made o p omo e collabo a ion wi h ci il
socie y, academia, and he p i a e sec o , such as collabo a ions wi h
a chi ec s and u ban planne s ( C. Ui enb oek (2014) ; Basse and Shan-
459
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
Fig. 4. De e minan s and indica o s ela ed o Capaci y Building ac o . Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho s.
das (2010) ; Ca min, Anguelo ski and Robe s (2012) ; Wamsle , (2015).
Mo eo e , F umkin (2016))) and o he s sugges ha new collabo a ions
a e needed o effec i ely in eg a e clima e and heal h policies, while
also s eng hening exis ing ela ionships wi h adi ional public heal h
pa ne s.
3.2.2. De e minan s and indica o s o he capaci y building ac o
In he ealm o assessing he abili y o local go e nmen s o achie e
hese clima e and heal h goals, he Capaci y Building ac o e alua es
he s uc u al, and manage ial municipal capaci y h ough i s de e -
minan s and indica o s ( Fig. 4 ). As posi ed by Olazabal e al. (2019) ;
Knu i (2019) ; Ui enb oek (2016) ; A che and Dodman (2015) , aug-
men ing ins i u ional aining is widely acknowledged as a c ucial com-
ponen o o i ying esponses o clima e change.
The assessmen o human esou ces and echnical aining is a
c i ical de e minan in e alua ing he s uc u al and managemen ca-
paci y o municipali ies owa ds achie ing clima e change and heal h
policies. The human esou ces indica o aims o e alua e he p esence o
echnical pe sonnel de o ed o he de elopmen o hese policies and
hei le el o commi men . Despi e he impo ance a ibu ed o human
esou ces by many au ho s in he scien ific li e a u e ( Holga e, 2007 ;
Sippel & Jenssen, 2009 ), du ing he in e iew p ocess i was obse ed
ha he global, na ional, and egional clima e agendas ha e gene a ed a
significan amoun o new asks ha he en i onmen al a ea can ha dly
manage in e ms o dedica ion, s uc u e, and logis ics. In addi ion, a
ecu en heme iden ified ac oss he in e iewed municipali ies is he
equi emen o echnicians o o he a eas ake pa in he design and
implemen a ion o hese clima e policies as well.
As i was obse ed in he con as p ocesses, he lack o ained pe -
sonnel in he design and de elopmen o hese policies is a common chal-
lenge aced by local en i ies, esul ing in significan obs acles o hei
implemen a ion. Hence, he echnical aining indica o aims o e alua e
he ex en o which municipal co po a ions in es in he aining, ensu -
ing ha hey possess he la es echnical and scien ific knowledge in he
field and a e capable o adap ing i o he local needs ( Knu i, 2019 ). I is
wo h no ing ha some o he in e iewed ci ies conside ed p omo ing
specialized echnical aining among exis ing municipal s aff a p io i y
o e new hi es.
The e alua ion o bo h in a-municipal and in e -ins i u ional o ga-
niza ional esou ces se es as a pi o al de e minan in disce ning he
essen ial s uc u es ha p omo e efficien coope a ion among a ious
depa men s. As highligh ed by Runhaa e al. (2018) , Wamsle and
B ink (2014) and Ui enb oek e al. (2016) , such s uc u es encompass
en i ies, commi ees, and panels capable o os e ing cohesi e esponses
o collabo a ion wi hin depa men s and be ween ins i u ions. These in-
dica o s also conside he a ailabili y o pe sonnel wi h p ope aining
and compe encies in heal h, as well as he o ganiza ional esou ces ha
con ibu e o he in eg a ion o clima e change and heal h s a egies.
As a gued by Roca Villanue a e al. (2019) , i should also be consid-
e ed ha heal h sys ems a e no immune o he isks posed by clima e
change, and heal h p o essionals mus play an ac i e ole.
The de e minan o s uc u al and me hodological suppo is a c u-
cial elemen in e alua ing he effec i eness o local go e nmen ’s e-
sponse. The indica o o s uc u al suppo examines how local go e n-
men ’s managemen s uc u es, in e nal no ms, job desc ip ions, depa -
men s, pe sonnel, and financial esou ces a e adap ed o in eg a e bo h
policies ( Runhaa e al., 2012 ; Eks om & Mose , 2014 and Wamsle ,
2015). As ad oca ed by C. Ui enb oek (2014) , he indica o o me hod-
ological suppo e alua es he a ailabili y o guides, sou ces, and expe-
iences ha acili a e he de elopmen o necessa y me hodologies o
espond o clima e change and heal h policies.
The effec i eness de e minan measu es how well local go e n-
men s comply wi h clima e change and heal h policies. I includes h ee
indica o s: no ma i e suppo , moni o ing and con ol, and adap i e flexi-
bili y. No ma i e suppo ( C. Ui enb oek, 2014 ; Olazabal, 2019 ) e e s o
legally binding egula ions ha p o ide necessa y legal co e age, while
moni o ing and con ol e alua es whe he local go e nmen s ha e es ab-
lished indica o s o measu e policy effec i eness. Acco ding o C. Ui en-
b oek (2014) , adap i e flexibili y cons i u es he capaci y o local go e n-
men s o adap o po en ial obs acles and le e age oppo uni ies du ing
policy implemen a ion. One o he mos equen ly ci ed examples ob-
se ed du ing he con as p ocesses was he oppo uni y o in eg a e
he clima e and heal h s a egies in o he u ban mas e plan e iew.
The objec i e o he knowledge sou ces de e minan is o iden-
i y he u iliza ion o sui able knowledge in decision-making conce n-
ing clima e change and heal h s a egies. The echnical-scien ific knowl-
edge suppo indica o assesses whe he decision-making is based on
eliable and up- o-da e knowledge p o ided by expe s in he field
( Hulme & Mahony, 2010 ). Decision-making based on scien ific e idence
and public heal h e hics is c ucial o managing unce ain y and op-
imizing ou comes ega ding heal h, he en i onmen , and he econ-
omy ( F umkin e al., 2008 ). The con as be ween municipal echnicians
and poli icians e ealed he dis ance be ween scien ific knowledge and
decision-making. To pu an end o his, i was sugges ed ha using ap-
p op ia e language ailo ed o he a ge ed audience could be an effec-
i e s a egy.
460
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
Fig. 5. De e minan s and indica o s ela ed o Psychosocial in ol emen ac o . Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho s.
I is confi med by local go e nmen s ha complex issues such as cli-
ma e change equi e an in eg a ed knowledge app oach ha employs
mul i-, in e -, and ansdisciplina y iews o acili a e he de elopmen
o inno a i e me hodologies o co-p oducing knowledge ( S ock & Bu -
on, 2011 ; Knu i, 2019 ). The knowledge and emissions p ojec ion indi-
ca o s a e essen ial in assessing he impac s a he local scale. Addi-
ionally, he local ulne abili y knowledge indica o is c ucial in de e -
mining whe he hese s a egies a e ailo ed acco ding o he analysis
o local ulne abili y. Inco po a ing local knowledge can enhance he
aining o decision-make s, enabling hem o make mo e in o med deci-
sions ha eflec he unique needs o he local communi y ( Knu i, 2019 ;
Naess, 2013 ).
3.2.3. De e minan s and indica o s o he psychosocial implica ion ac o
The in e iewed municipali ies highligh ed he challenge o engag-
ing ci izens and communi y o ganiza ions in clima e ac ion. Acco ding
o au ho s such as Naus dalslid (2011) social mobiliza ion is a c ucial
aspec o effec i ely esponding o clima e change, necessi a ing he e-
o e he iden ifica ion o s a egies ha ac i a e socie al o ces. F om a
psychological pe spec i e, Hoffman (2015) a gues ha examining he
cul u al and emo ional impac o pe sonal belie s and pe cep ions is i-
al o add essing he clima e eme gency.
As a esul , he e is a need o in es iga e he psychosocial de e mi-
nan s ha can mo i a e such ac ion. In his sense, he psychosocial
implica ion ac o is ca ego ized in o a se o de e minan s and indi-
ca o s o assess local go e nmen ’s abili y o p omo e ci izen and ci il
socie y in ol emen and ensu e he efficacy and long- e m sus ainabili y
o clima e policies ( Fig. 5 ).
The fi s de e minan and i s co esponding indica o , public pa -
icipa ion , aim o e alua e he quali y o pa icipa o y p ocesses im-
plemen ed and hei alignmen wi h heal h expe ecommenda ions.
Specifically, his de e minan assesses whe he pa icipa o y channels
s i e o each a b oad audience, acili a e eedback p ocesses, inco po-
a e he public sugges ions and obus public pa icipa ion ha encom-
passes all sec o s o he popula ion. Acco ding o Hue a (2013) and
Aleg e (2011) inclusi e public pa icipa ion is c i ical o a oiding he
pe cep ion ha policies a e solely de e mined by expe s who a e un a-
milia wi h local conce ns and acili a ing effec i e ci izen in ol emen .
The ideological inclusi i y de e minan and indica o assess
whe he effo s ha e been made o in ol e di e se agen s and social
g oups, including women and he hi d sec o . Based on he findings o
he in e iews, i has been iden ified ha i is impo an o engage a
di e se g oup o ac o s and ep esen a i es om social, poli ical, cul-
u al, and eligious domains. This is in line wi h he iews o schola s
like Hoffman (2015) , who a gue ha in ol ing a b oad ange o ac o s
wi h diffe en belie s and pe spec i es can enhance he sense o own-
e ship o hese policies. Fu he mo e, he inclusi e consensus indica o ,
which is closely linked o he ideological inclusi i y , e alua es whe he a -
emp s ha e been made o achie e basic consensus wi h ep esen a i es
o di e se ideological cu en s. In o de o ensu e policy implemen a ion
and long- e m sus ainabili y, in e iews also e ealed how i is essen ial
o secu e consensus no only among poli ical ep esen a i es, bu also
among a ious ideological cu en s in ci il socie y.
The de e minan and indica o o communi y ac i ism assess he
deg ee o which local go e nmen s p omo e communi y in ol emen in
ini ia i es, p og ams, spaces, and o he ac i i ies. This de e minan also
enables he assessmen o municipal effo s o encou age communi y
ac i ism ega ding heal h and he clima e c isis. Al hough he signifi-
cance o communi y ac i ism is highly ega ded, as s udies by Rose -
Renou e al. (2014) and Ockwell e al. (2009) indica e, some munic-
ipali ies ha e exp essed challenges in in ol ing communi ies in hese
policies. Ne e heless, he e a e some encou aging examples, such as
Ba celona, which ha e p o ided some ci izen associa ions wi h g an s
in o de o boos ini ia i es agains clima e change.
The effec i e communica ion de e minan is a ool used o assess
how well he clima e eme gency is being communica ed o he public,
specifically in ega ds o how i ela es o heal h. The fi s indica o ,
ansmission o echnical scien ific knowledge, looks a whe he he in o -
ma ion is p esen ed in an unde s andable way ha emphasizes he mos
cu en scien ific and echnical findings. Communica ing abou clima e
change is o en difficul due o he complexi y o he science in ol ed,
as well as misin o ma ion and economic in e es s. The e o e, as sug-
ges ed by a ious s udies such as Hoffman (2015) ; Allum e al. (2008) ;
F umkin e al. (2008) , i is c ucial o ailo he communica ion o b idge
he gap be ween scien ific knowledge and he public’s unde s anding.
The posi i e communica ion indica o is based upon he impo ance
o communica ing he clima e eme gency while ying o a oid he use
o a ca as ophic message ha educes he audience’s hope o a be e
u u e ( Clay on & The College o Woos e , 2019 ). I is highly impo an
o show a posi i e pe spec i e ha encou ages he clima e ac ion and
a oids inac ion.
The a ge ing communica ion indica o assesses whe he he message
is ailo ed o he language and in e es s o he a ge audience. Thus,
effec i e communica o s need o conside he audience and he sou ce
deli e ing each message, and adequa e he message o he language and
in e es s o he audience. This can in ol e using us ed communica-
o s and linking he message o alues ha a e impo an o he public
( Hoffman, 2015 ; Clay on, 2019 ). Fo example, i he message is a ge ed
a he economic and financial sec o , i may be necessa y o use amilia
e ms such as cos -benefi , supply and demand, p oduc i i y, e c.
Las ly, he pe suasi e communica ion indica o e alua es whe he he
clima e eme gency message seeks o con ince he audience h ough an
a ac i e and aluable p esen a ion a he han imposing i . Ce ain
ci ies ha we e in e iewed acknowledge he significance o elying on
he expe ise o communica ion fi ms o maximize he effec i eness o
hei awa eness campaigns. In addi ion, as demons a ed by R. Bouwen,
Dewul and C aps (2006) and Hoffman (2015) , pe suasi e communi-
ca ion is mo e effec i e when combined wi h emo ional appeals ha
cap u e he audience’s a en ion.
The cogni i e de e minan can be used o assess whe he local go -
e nmen s a e effec i ely inc easing public knowledge abou clima e
change. Acco ding o Hoffman (2015) , combined wi h a lack o knowl-
461
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
Table 1
F amewo k Summa y Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho s.
Fac o De e minan Indica o s Re e ences
Clima e S a egy Legi imacy Regula o y legi imacy
Exempla y legi imacy
Cashmo e and Wejs (2014) ; Sco e al. (2000) ; Fox e al. (2019)
Cohe ence Poli ical cohe ence
Economic cohe ence
Fiscal cohe ence
No ma i e cohe ence
S a egic– empo al cohe ence
Runhaa e al. (2012) ; Wamsle (2015) ; Ui enb oek (2016) ;
Runhaa e al. (2018) ; C. Ui enb oek (2014) ; Sippel and
Jenssen (2009)
; H. Bulkeley (2010) ; Haines and Ebi (2019) ; Fe ini and
Go i (2020)
S abili y Poli ical leade ship
Poli ical consensus
In a-municipal collabo a ion
In e -ins i u ional collabo a ion
Budge a y and financial s abili y
C. Ui enb oek (2014) ; Runhaa e al. (2018) ; Fox e al. (2019) ;
Haines and Ebi (2019) ; Fe ini e al. (2020) ; Wa s e al. (2021) ;
Romanello e al. (2022) ; S ead and Meije s (2009) ;
Runhaa e al. (2012) ; C. Ui enb oek e al. (2014) ; Wamsle and
Paulei (2016)
; H. Bulkeley (2010) ; Sippel and Jenssen (2009) ;
Quay (2010)
Equi y and social jus ice Inclusi e pe spec i e
Gende pe spec i e
Equidis ibu i e policies
Reckien e al. (2017) ; Anguelo ski e al. (2019) ; Salas and Jha (2019) ;
Fox e al. (2019) ; Wa s e al. (2021)
P i a e and economic
sec o in ol emen
P i a e and economic sec o in ol emen
Financial sec o in ol emen
Glasbe gen e al. (2007) ; J.C.S. And ade and Puppim De
Oli ei a (2015)
; Ma ínez and Ramos (2019) ; Bulkeley and
Newell (2015)
; Sulli an (2014) ; Ag awala e al. (2011)
In eg a ion Clima e planning in eg a ion
Pa ial in eg a ion
Regula o y in eg a ion
Collabo a i e in eg a ion
Reckien e al. (2019) ; Wamsle and Paulei (2016) ;
C. Ui enb oek (2014) ; Basse and Shandas (2010) ;
Ca min, Anguelo ski and Robe s (2012) ; Wamsle (2015) ;
F umkin (2016)))
Capaci y Building Human esou ces and
echnical aining
Human esou ces
Technical aining
In a-municipal o ganiza ional esou ces
In e -agency o ganiza ional esou ces
Holga e (2007) ; Sippel and Jenssen (2009) ; Knu i (2019) ;
Runhaa e al. (2018) ; Wamsle and B ink (2014) ;
Ui enb oek e al. (2016) ; Roca Villanue a e al. (2019)
S uc u al and
me hodological suppo
S uc u al suppo
Me hodological suppo
Runhaa e al. (2012) ; Eks öm and Mose (2014) ; Wamsle (2015) ;
C. Ui enb oek (2014)
Effec i eness Regula o y suppo
Moni o ing, e alua ion and epo ing
Adap i e flexibili y
C. Ui enb oek (2014) ; Olazabal (2019)
Sou ces o knowledge Suppo scien ific- echnical knowledge
In eg a ed knowledge
Emissions in en o y knowledge
Emissions knowledge p ojec ion
Technical-scien ific knowledge
Hulme and Mahony (2010) ; F umkin e al. (2008) ; S ock and
Bu on (2011)
; Knu i (2019) ; Naess (2013)
Psychosocial
In ol emen
Public pa icipa ion Public pa icipa ion Hue a (2013) ; Aleg e (2011)
Ideological inclusi i y Ideological inclusi i y
Inclusi e consensus
Hoffman (2015)
Communi y ac i ism Boos ing communi y ac i ism Rose -Renou e al. (2014) ; Ockwell e al. (2009)
Effec i e communica ion T ansmission o echnical-scien ific knowledge
Posi i e communica ion
Ta ge ed communica ion
Pe suasion
Clay on (2019) ; Hoffman (2015) ; Maibach e al. (2008) ;
Mye s e al. (2013) ; Bain e al. (2014) ; Naus dalslid (2011) ;
Rose -Renou e al. (2014)
Cogni i e ac o s Public pe cep ion
Local impac pe cep ion
Social pe cep ion o CC
Efficacy pe cep ion
Hoffman (2015) ; Semenza e al. (2008)
Beha io al ac o s Manipula ion o in o ma ion
T us
Change o habi is
Hoffman (2015) ; Rose -Renou e al. (2014) ; R. Bouwen e al. (2006) ;
S e n (2012) ; Hobson and Niemeye (2013) ; Ma hies e al. (2006)
Awa eness En i onmen al educa ion
Dissemina ion a good p ac ices
Hue a (2013) ; Eks öm and Mose (2014) ; Semenza e al. (2008)
Psychological ac o s Emo ional Componen Hoffman (2015) ; Meadowc o and Fio ino (2017) ; S e n (2012)
edge on how o ac o wha ac ions can ha e he g ea es impac , he lack
o pe cep ion o ci izens owa ds clima e change as a significan p ob-
lem de e mines clima e inac ion. To add ess his, educa ional messages
can be used o inc ease awa eness abou he causes and consequences
o global wa ming and p omo e change o beha iou ( Semenza e al.,
2008 ). This obse a ion has been sus ained h oughou he in e iew
p ocess whe e i was obse ed ha his lack o knowledge also ex ends
o he impac o clima e change on public heal h.
The effec i e communica ion de e minan is essen ial o alue he
public engagemen and ac ion owa ds clima e eme gency. This e-
sea ch p oposes h ee pe cep ion indica o s o assess he effec i eness
o communica ion s a egies, which we e alida ed du ing he in e -
iew p ocess. The local impac pe cep ion indica o emphasizes he im-
po ance o highligh ing he local consequences and co-benefi s o emis-
sions educ ion, as well as ga he ing local in o ma ion on ulne abili-
ies (
Clay on, 2019 ; Hoffman, 2015 ; Maibach e al., 2008 ; Mye s e al.,
2013 ; Bain e al., 2014 ). The social pe cep ion indica o assesses whe he
a holis ic unde s anding o clima e change is being communica ed, in-
cluding i s mul idisciplina y na u e. Iden i ying clima e change as an
en i onmen al p oblem wi hou add essing i s social impac de e mines
he incong ui y be ween he se e i y o clima e change and clima e
ac ion ( Naus dalslid, 2011 ). The efficacy pe cep ion indica o examines
whe he messages a e effec i ely ansmi ed by conside ing he impo -
ance o sel -consciousness abou he impac o indi idual beha iou
( Rose -Renou e al., 2014 ).
The beha io al de e minan encompasses mul iple ac o s ha a -
ec indi idual and socie al beha io owa ds clima e- ela ed policies.
Among he indi iduals in e iewed, i was pe cei ed ha manipula ion
o in o ma ion migh cons i u e a difficul y in he accep ance o hese
policies. Consequen ly, i was c i ical o iden i y whe he in e es g oups
462
E. Sanz, L. Chelle i, A. Chiabai e al. U ban Go e nance 5 (2025) 455–465
manipula e he messages. Hoffman’s esea ch (2015) sugges s ha ou
a ionali y is es ic ed and influenced by ou emo ions and su ound-
ings, enabling hem o manipula e public deba es in a ou o hei in-
e es s. Such manipula ion can esul in al e a ions o media co e age,
public a i udes, consume ma ke s, and go e nmen policies. In o de
o p e en his, some o he poli icians who we e in e iewed exp essed
he need o publish and e u e he inaccu a e and manipula ed in o ma-
ion ha is dissemina ed h ough he media.
Ano he impo an indica o is he us gene a ion, which aims o
e alua e he po en ial o enhancing he c edibili y o messages ela ed
o he clima e eme gency. Acco ding o Ho man (2015) , one way o do-
ing so is by using messenge s wi h high social accep ance, such as spo s
o cul u al figu es, and p omo ing anspa ency in policy de elopmen
p ocesses. By using his indica o , we can e alua e he ex en o effo s
being aken o p omo e accep ance o clima e- ela ed policies. Fu he -
mo e, his also allows us o assess whe he messenge s wi h high social
accep ance a e being used om he heal h pe spec i e.
In e ms o he ci izen in ol emen indica o , i p o ides a means o as-
sess he municipal co po a ion’s endea ou s in egula ly p omo ing ini-
ia i es aimed a enhancing ci izen in ol emen . The in e iewed mu-
nicipali ies exp essed ha , despi e he significance o he ma e , he
expec ed ou comes we e no being ealized. This indica o can also de-
e mine whe he he e is a p omo ion o awa eness ega ding he impac
o clima e change on heal h. No ably, schola s such as S e n (2012) ac-
knowledge ha heal h is a alue ha significan ly esona es wi h he
communi y. Hence, emphasizing he epe cussions o clima e change
on human well-being could be an effec i e message in p omo ing cli-
ma e s a egies. Addi ionally, expe s such as Hoffman (2015) ; Rose -
Renou e al. (2014) ; R. Bouwen e al. (2006) poin ou ha unde s and-
ing he mechanisms ha d i e popula ion dynamics and hei commi -
men o he clima e challenge is c ucial.
As e idenced by in e iews, es ablished habi s a e conside ed a sig-
nifican obs acle o achie ing clima e objec i es, as many habi ual be-
ha iou s a e highly esis an o change ( Hobson & Niemeye , 2013 )
Howe e , app op ia e policies can achie e beha iou al changes
( Ma hies e al., 2006 ). The habi change indica o se es as a ool o as-
sess whe he local go e nmen s ha e conduc ed a comp ehensi e anal-
ysis o social habi s and a e making effo s o pu sue necessa y habi
changes.
The de e minan o awa eness includes he en i onmen al educa ion
indica o , which e alua es how municipali ies ex end hei effo s o-
wa ds en i onmen al educa ion h ough di e se educa ional and cul-
u al ac ions . Addi ionally, he municipali ies in e iewed exp essed he
impo ance o ex ending his schola en i onmen al p og am o highe
educa ion le els such as seconda y schools and uni e si ies, as well as
adul cul u e p og ams o company aining. Fu he mo e, he dissemi-
na ion o good p ac ice indica o ecognizes he effo s o public admin-
is a ions in p omo ing social in e ac ion ha acili a es he exchange
o good p ac ices, such as engaging in ene gy efficiency compe i ions o
adop ing sus ainable mobili y solu ions.
Finally, as obse ed du ing he con as p ocess, he psychological
de e minan is a c i ical aspec in e alua ing effo s o engage soci-
e y and p omo e i s in ol emen . People, when con on ing a p oblem,
end o be ca ied away by emo ions easie han by conscious hough s.
Acco ding o expe s such as Hoffman (2015) , Meadowc o and Fio -
ino (2017) , and S e n (2012) , emo ional appeals play a c ucial ole in
engaging he public wi h clima e policies. The emo ional componen in-
dica o enables assessing he ex en o which effo s ha e been made
o p omo e a message ha appeals o he emo ional componen o he
audience. Fo example, ecen messages may emphasize he in e ela-
ionship be ween he clima e eme gency and he Pos -Co id 19 heal h
c isis ( Table 1 ).
4. Conclusions
Exis ing amewo ks add essing clima e local go e nance ha e p o-
ided limi ed insigh s in o hei capaci y o effec i ely acili a e clima e
ac ion. Gi en he clima e eme gency, he e is an u gen need o a mo e
comp ehensi e and in eg a ed go e nance model ha ensu es he effec-
i e implemen a ion o clima e policies while simul aneously add essing
b oade socie al implica ions. This s udy in oduces a holis ic ame-
wo k ha in eg a es clima e s a egy, capaci y building, and psychoso-
cial engagemen , ecognizing ha sus ainable clima e go e nance e-
qui es an app oach ha is bo h echnically obus and socially inclu-
si e. Unlike p e ious models, his amewo k ex ends beyond clima e
adap a ion and mi iga ion by inco po a ing a heal h pe spec i e, ensu -
ing ha policies deli e co-benefi s o en i onmen al sus ainabili y and
public well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has unde sco ed he neces-
si y o such an in eg a ed app oach, offe ing a pi o al oppo uni y o
add ess wo global c ises —clima e change and public heal h — h ough
in e connec ed policy solu ions.
This amewo k p o ides a sys ema ic and mul idimensional ap-
p oach o s eng hening local clima e go e nance by e alua ing h ee
key in e ela ed ac o s. Clima e s a egy assesses he decision-making
capaci y o local go e nmen s, aking in o accoun leade ship, poli ical
consensus, financial planning, policy cohe ence, and in eg a ion o en-
su e ha clima e policies a e effec i ely o mula ed and implemen ed.
Capaci y building e alua es whe he local adminis a ions ha e he in-
s i u ional and echnical capabili y o de elop and execu e clima e poli-
cies, wi h a ocus on human esou ces, echnical expe ise, and go e -
nance s uc u es ha sus ain long- e m policy effec i eness. Psychoso-
cial engagemen examines how local go e nmen s ac i ely in ol e com-
muni ies in clima e ac ion, emphasizing public pa icipa ion, commu-
ni y ac i ism, and s a egic communica ion o add ess he beha io al
and emo ional dimensions o clima e challenges. By inco po a ing hese
h ee pilla s, he amewo k ensu es ha local clima e s a egies a e no
only ins i u ionally and echnically sound bu also socially accep ed and
widely suppo ed.
By in eg a ing 18 de e minan s and 53 indica o s, his amewo k
se es as a comp ehensi e diagnos ic ool o iden i ying go e nance
gaps, imp o ing ins i u ional coo dina ion, and s eng hening ci izen
engagemen in clima e policy p ocesses. I p o ides a s uc u ed and
adap able app oach o local go e nmen s, policymake s, and u ban
planne s seeking o enhance clima e adap a ion and esilience. Th ough
i s s anda dized me hodology, municipali ies can e alua e and efine
hei clima e policies, pinpoin ins i u ional weaknesses, and os e pa -
icipa o y decision-making ha in eg a es di e se s akeholde pe spec-
i es. Mo eo e , by aligning clima e policies wi h public heal h p io i-
ies, his app oach acili a es co-benefi s ha con ibu e o en i onmen-
al sus ainabili y and socie al well-being. I s flexibili y allows o adap a-
ion ac oss a ious poli ical, economic, and social con ex s, posi ioning
i as a e sa ile, e idence-based decision-suppo ool o ci ies aiming o
es ablish inno a i e, inclusi e, and esilien clima e go e nance s a e-
gies.
To u he s eng hen and alida e his amewo k, u u e esea ch
should p io i ize empi ical applica ions in di e se u ban se ings, en-
su ing adap abili y ac oss diffe en go e nance models. Expanding i s
use in eal-wo ld case s udies will efine i s effec i eness as a s anda d-
ized assessmen ool, guiding local go e nmen s in he de elopmen o
esilien , pa icipa o y, and e idence-based clima e policies. By offe -
ing a s uc u ed ye adap able model, his amewo k p o ides a unique
and ac ionable con ibu ion o bo h esea ch and go e nance, ein o c-
ing he need o in eg a ed, equi able, and in e disciplina y clima e ac-
ion ha effec i ely add esses he in e connec ed challenges o clima e
change and public heal h.
463
