Types of Multilevel Governance Coordination Mechanisms for Climate Action

• 1. Based on the scope of responsibilities, two types of mechanisms were identified in the NAP documents and related information sources:

  • climate-exclusive: permanent mechanisms created specifically to coordinate and deal with climate change issues (adaptation, mitigation, and/or loss and damage). For instance, climate change councils, commissions, or committees mandated by law, decree, or other national policy instrument. 

  • non-climate-exclusive: permanent coordination mechanisms that were created to coordinate both climate change-related and non-climate change-related policy issues. For example, sustainability councils, environmental commissions, or disaster risk reduction committees.   

• 2. Based on who is involved, three types of national-level coordination mechanisms were identified through the analysis of the NAP documents and related information sources.

  • vertical (cross-scale): involves national, subnational, and local levels of government. 

  • horizontal (cross-sectoral): brings together representatives from the state (as a sovereign actor, including executive, judiciary, and legislative branches). For example, government ministries, departments, and/or agencies at the same level of jurisdiction. 

  • multi-actor (multistakeholder): enables coordination between at least one representative from the state and any non-state actor, such as civil society organizations (CSOs)/non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, Indigenous Peoples, academia, and/or international cooperation organizations. 

   When the mechanisms include representatives from more than one dimension (i.e., horizontal, vertical, or multi-actor), they are also categorized as multidimensional. 

  • multidimensional: simultaneously integrates organizations representing more than one policy sector, governance level, or actor (Luna Rodriguez, 2019).  

   In practice, many of the coordination mechanisms identified include representatives from more than one category. For example, they may simultaneously include representatives from different government ministries /agencies and non-state actors, and/or subnational level governments, as shown in the country examples of this analysis.