Travels and Trials of Climate Knowledge in Finnish Municipalities

Abstract

We examine why implementing climate aims has proven challenging for municipalities. Recognising that climate policy research identifies ‘barriers’ to the forward motion of environmental knowledge, we use STS tools to dismantle ‘barrier thinking’ and analyse the dynamics of climate knowledge in municipal organisations. The primary data are 21 interviews with climate change and risk management experts in Finnish municipalities. We employ the idea of ‘trials of strength’ to analyse not mere barriers but gatherings, translations, and implementations of environmental knowledge. We argue that four kinds of trials are crucial in transforming climate knowledge so it can cohere with ongoing processes: it is gathered and condensed at the organisation’s borders; climate experts embody and transmit the knowledge; meeting tables form obligatory passage points for its implementation; and road maps draw actors together to circulate it. While traveling around municipal organisations, climate knowledge is often sidetracked but can sometimes become unexpectedly effective.

Comprehensive Security: The Opportunities and Challenges of Incorporating Environmental Threats in Security Policy

“…All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The rich interview material has been widely used by the consortium researchers, for instance to trace the movement of climate knowledge in municipal organisations (Virtanen et al, 2021) and to identify specific organizational rhythmic discordances as barriers to climate change actions (Reinekoski et al, 2021).…”

“…Some interviewees note that the tendency to ignore environmental change in decision-making may lead to unwanted pathdependencies, which suggests a lack of proactive thinking. The cross-sectoral and multi-level perspective of the comprehensive security model seems to be missed at the local level as, in some municipalities, environmental experts struggle to "get into the right tables and discussions" despite their willingness (see also Virtanen et al, 2021).…”

Municipal climate communication as a tool in amplifying local climate action and developing a place brand

“…This supports Kavaratzis' (2004) notion that secondary communication is largely reliant on primary communication. In a recent study of climate knowledge circulation in Finnish municipalities, Virtanen et al (2022) agreed that climate experts, communicators and working groups are important in gathering, condensing and circulating climate knowledge within the municipality, with roadmaps helping to both steer and implement actions, while also gathering different actors together. Thus, internal communication and collaboration are crucial.…”

Frictional rhythms of climate work in city governance

“…The divergence compelled us to focus on the interviews with environmental and climate specialists and to understand what was obstructing their work and making it so markedly cumbersome (see also Virtanen et al, 2022). They recounted constantly returning to square one with each new climate project, having to explain things to colleagues in other branches over and over again, and, eventually, of coming to the organisations’ proceedings too late in the game to have any effect.…”