Developing a Deliberative Community and Collaborative Governance forClimate Change Adaptation and Mitigation – a Case Study of Practice Methods

Abstract

There is growing recognition that responding to the challenge of climate change will require new forms of governance and institutional arrangements. The constant difficulties of moving from sustainability plans to actions are highlighted, and a more collaborative form of governance is described - deliberative democracy, to explore how this gap could be bridged. An innovative action research case study, ‘Geraldton 2029 and Beyond’ is outlined, which is aimed at developing a deliberative community and collaborative governance, ie institutionalising deliberative democracy. The focus is on helping everyday citizens understand the complexity of issues from different standpoints including the science, judiciously consider the options, and develop a coherent voice; and in parallel, developing collaborative governance so the outcomes of the public deliberations are incorporated into policy development, decision-making and joint action. Though this project is still in its early days, already there have been significant inroads into collaborative planning for climate change and joint steps towards mitigating action.