Multi-Level Governance, Transport Policy and Carbon Emissions Management

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Transport)
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts)

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Politics and International Studies)

Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)

Dr GR Marsden
Institute for Transport Studies
University of Leeds

Standard

ESRC

01 May 2011

31 May 2013

25 months

£247,310

Yorkshire & Humberside

Evaluation

Dr GR Marsden, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds

Professor I Bache, Politics, University of Sheffield
Professor I Docherty, Business School, University of Glasgow
Professor MV Flinders, Politics, University of Sheffield
Professor T Rye, UNLISTED, Lund University, Sweden

The Climate Change Act (2008) places a legally binding requirement on the UK Government to set targets and report on progress on climate change emission reductions. The transport sector contributes one-third of total UK emissions and is the most difficult sector in which to cut emissions.The research project examines whether and how governance structures make a difference to policy effectiveness (design and delivery) and accountability within the field of carbon emissions management and the transport sector. The research is theoretically-informed and considers the extent to which Multi-Level Governance and related tools can shed light on structures and processes that are not understood and which are crucial in the delivery chain. It is particularly appropriate due to the complex interplay of policies in carbon management for transport across six spatial levels and the many non-governmental public bodies and private sector delivery agencies involved in transport.Recent developments underline the growing importance of the study in both empirical and theoretical terms. The Government is seeking to achieve more for less and this research focuses on how to deliver more efficient outputs and outcomes. The abolition of regional government in England and the establishment of Local Economic Partnerships predicated on economic growth provides an exciting case study of governance reform at a time of greater local freedoms.

17/07/15