ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore the concept of global environmental governance, and the role of cities and subnational governments in addressing global environmental issues. While there are many different perspectives and interpretations of the term governance, broadly speaking we can say that it implies a focus on ‘systems of governing’, means for ‘authoritatively allocating resources and exercising control and co-ordination’ (Rhodes 1996: 653), in which the state (or government) is not necessarily the only or most important actor. For many analysts, this shift towards a governance perspective has entailed a recognition of the roles played by supranational and subnational state and non-state actors, and the complex interactions between them. Such an approach is important in the context of global environmental issues, where governance takes place through processes and institutions operating at international, transnational,1 national and local scales.
