TY - CHAP A1 - Vellani, Tomás A1 - Oehlert, Franziska A1 - Walkenhorst, Janina ED - Kuhlmann, Sabine ED - Laffin, Martin ED - Wayenberg, Ellen ED - Bergström, Tomas T1 - Intergovernmental relations in urban climate policy BT - how Berlin and Paris formulate and implement climate strategies T2 - New perspectives on intergovernmental relations N2 - Urban climate strategies have become central tools for steering climate policy in cities. Local policymakers must coordinate a wide range of actors, among them sub-municipal administrative units and neighbouring administrations, in order to ensure legitimate, socially accepted and effective policy. The study examines, from a comparative perspective, how intergovernmental relations (IGR) play out in the formulation and implementation of climate strategies in the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Paris. Embedded in different institutional contexts, both cities followed a trajectory initiated by relatively centralized strategy formulation with an ongoing shift towards more decentralized and coordinated intergovernmental approaches with their respective district administrations. In terms of horizontal IGR, Berlin took a decoupled approach with limited coordination with the state of Brandenburg, whereas Paris was much more closely integrated with its surrounding areas through the inter-municipal metropolis of Greater Paris. Institutional capacity, multilevel coordination and participation demands are identified as three challenges for the existing IGR structures. Addressing these challenges places significant strains on local administrative capacity. The findings highlight the limitations of centralized approaches to IGR at the local level and the importance of aligning the distribution of functional responsibilities with the rights of consultation and participation in climate policy formulation processes. KW - climate policy KW - climate strategies KW - local government KW - intergovernmental relations KW - multilevel coordination Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-031-61789-8 SN - 978-3-031-61790-4 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61790-4_8 SP - 143 EP - 162 PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - Cham ER -