UC Santa Cruz

As a “wicked” environmental problem of the twenty-first century, the issue of anthropogenic global climate change will require mitigation efforts to occur across a diverse set of stakeholder groups in order to be addressed effectively. In the wake of the prevailing complexities associated with contemporary environmental issues, such as climate change, stakeholder engagement via collaborative policymaking processes has emerged as a potentially effective management model. This research contributes to the emerging scholarly discussion surrounding the dimensions of climate change communication by conducting a stakeholder-focused analysis concerning climate change policymaking at the state level. The major goal of this study is to explore the role of collaborative policymaking processes in the context of climate change policy adoption and implementation in the American states. Understanding the role of collaborative policymaking processes via stakeholder engagement is critical to building our understanding of the ability for policymakers to implement strategies that reduce emissions. Developing an effective stakeholder framework can help us to understand the multifaceted stakeholder dynamics around climate change communication and can be a critical contribution to theory and, subsequently, to policymaking by helping decision makers become aware and knowledgeable about constraints and opportunities in addressing climate change within the subnational context.