Climate Change & Environmental Governance

In the wake of its “City Deal” and newfound city-regional powers, Greater Manchester, UK is now grappling with its climate change and environmental governance pathways through the use new mechanisms. One example of a novel governance mechanism was the 2018 Mayor of Greater Manchester's Green Summit which was one step in a continuing process to envision a new direction for the city-region’s climate change policy. Meanwhile, campaigners, activists, citizens and other stakeholders are trying to understand how their climate change and environmental interests can be justly represented within these new decision-making processes at the city-regional level. Greater Manchester is now considering how it can develop climate change and environmental policy through pathways that are collaborative with a wider set of external stakeholders.

To support the development of new collaborative governance processes, a partnership has been formed with the Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub to establish an action research project to effectively engage decision-makers and the public during the development and implementation of climate change and environmental policy. Ryan, a PhD candidate directing this project, is focusing on exploring new coproductive policy development pathways and mechanisms that can enable collaboration and engagement between the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Environment Team and citizens and civil society organisations. Through the embedded action research project, this research investigates the strengths and limitations of coproduction as a governance process for developing socially just and scientifically rigorous climate change and environmental policy in Greater Manchester.

 

People involved

Ryan Bellinson

Ryan is a PhD candidate in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield’s. His research focuses on innovative urban governance models that may be used to develop socially just and scientifically robust climate change policy. Ryan is currently leading the environmental governance project that investigates coproductive policy development in Greater Manchester, UK.

Prior to joining the Realising Just Cities programme, Ryan earned a B.SC. in environmental studies from the University of Oregon (2015), and an M.Sc. in urban studies from the University of Amsterdam (2017). Ryan has also worked as a constituent affairs intern for United States Senator Jeff Merkley and was a land use planning and air toxins policy fellow in the State of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s Natural Resource Policy Office

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Beth Perry

Beth is a Professorial Fellow at the Urban Institute. She is the Director of the Sheffield Manchester Local Interaction Platform and sits on the Mistra Urban Futures International Board. Her research focuses on urban governance, transformation and the roles of universities, with an emphasis on socio-environmental and socio-cultural transitions.

Beth Perry joined the Urban Institute in September 2016, following her appointment as a Professorial Fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Following degrees in European Studies and Modern Languages (BA Hons, University of Manchester) and European Integration (MA, University of Bradford), she joined the Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF) at the University of Salford and became its director prior to moving to Sheffield.  During this time she completed her PhD which focussed on the relationship between universities and the knowledge economy in the context of multi-level and multi-actor governance. Since 2010 she has been the UK Programme Lead for the Mistra Urban Futures Centre, with headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden and sits on the International Board.

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News, events and blog

Co-Producing Climate Urbanism: Learning From Experience

Thursday, September 5, 2019 - 17:00 to 19:00
Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences, Conference Room, 219 Portobello, Sheffield, S1 4DP

Cities across the UK have declared a climate emergency. This panel will explore co-production's potential role in achieving climate action.

Climate change is increasingly being recognised as an emergency. Sheffield and Manchester have both declared a climate emergency. Beyond statements recognising the climate crisis, how can cities co-produce meaningful action to address climate change?

Putting people first: Why citizens are the lynchpin to achieving urban climate action

By Ryan Bellison, PhD Student 22nd July 2019

I, like most other researchers, am passionate about the topics I investigate. So when I was recently presented with an opportunity to participate in a TV programme, I was quite excited to share my work with a new audience.

About the Realising Just Cities PhD programme

There are three PhD students now working on the Realising Just Cities programme in Sheffield-Manchester.

Resource Futures for Sustainable Urbanisation (REFURB)’ International workshop

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 - 15:00 to Thursday, February 1, 2018 - 07:00

REFURB uses EPSRC support to bring together eight leading specialists in urban metabolism with representatives from 6 cities and the UNEP for a 3 day workshop, to examine the research and societal challenge of sustainably resourcing future urbanisation.