5.2 Why local needs must be integrated into national policy formulation

Some of the most pressing socio-economic challenges at local level can include:

• Unemployment
• Population growth and in-migration
• Inequality and poverty
• Growing urbanisation and informality in cities
• Food, water or health insecurity
• Low energy access and/or poor electricity reliability
• Marginalised populations or communities
• Low education and skills development
• Historically poor natural resource management or degradation that affects service delivery, development and the well-being of citizens.

Many cities and subnational governments already face major and immediate governance challenges with regard to:

• Political and fiscal risk.
• Weak institutional arrangements and cross-sectoral linkages.
• Competing mandates.
• Outdated infrastructure in poor condition.
• Limitations on human or financial resources that constrain service delivery.

Climate change commitments, impacts and activities must be considered within the context of these acute issues. Climate change overlays the existing socio-economic challenges. Local government officials are now required to deal with increasing complexity and uncertainty in decision-making in the face of climate change, due to the vast number of cross-cutting issues and problems that they face in executing their duties.

Subnational governments are at the forefront of tackling these issues and often with resources and capacities that are inadequate to meet local needs. 

The threat of climate change impacts places an additional burden on the ability of subnational governments to deliver services and meet the needs at ground level.

Subnational government entities are responsible for transforming policies into tangible activities and meeting the needs on the ground. However, many climate-related policies were more recently introduced, and have not yet been mainstreamed into local government mandates. In addition, subnational governments often have limited decision-making power, despite being the responsible actors in implementing on-the-ground activities.

National governments provide direction and strategic guidance using a top-down approach through policy and legislation and are responsible for allocation of budgets for implementation.  

Climate change related policies often include long-term guidance for cross-sectoral challenges.

National government has more influence in executive processes such as enforcement of policies. 

However, national level government is not directly involved with on-the-ground issues and can be disconnected from the realities faced. In many cases policy development does not take local needs into account.

Clear understanding and knowledge of the policies, legislation and regulations which guide local activities is critical for subnational authorities. 

Knowing where the national government’s administrative power ends and local level mandates begin is vital for actual implementation (vertical integration).