Main Features and Respective Functional Specifications of a Polycentric Approach to Enhance Climate Governance
| Feature | Functional Specification | For Enhanced Cooperation |
| Self-Organization | • NONDOMINATION of individual groups and actors (normative claim) | Deal with social problems at the level most closely related to the specific problem—e.g., via “subsidiarity.” |
| • OWN RULE SETTING for subsidiary actors (as functional claim) | ||
| Site-Specific Conditions | • Heterogeneous PREFERENCES | Recognize and incorporate site-specific conditions and interactions—e.g., to mitigate prevalent global collective action dilemma. |
| • Heterogeneous COMPETENCIES and CONSTRAINTS | ||
| • Diversity of INTERACTIONS | ||
| Experimentation and Learning | • Fostering INNOVATION and flexible ADAPTATION | Facilitate enclosed experimentation and increased mutual learning—e.g., creating linkage in the network-like polycentric structure. |
| • Fostering NORMS and KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION | ||
| Trust | • TRUST as a relevant MEANS to foster cooperation | Build mutual trust to enhance cooperation—e.g., by implementing trust catalysts. |
| • Accompanying practices to disincentivize free-riding (“trust CATALYSTS”) | ||
| Feature | Functional Specification | For Enhanced Cooperation |
| Self-Organization | • NONDOMINATION of individual groups and actors (normative claim) | Deal with social problems at the level most closely related to the specific problem—e.g., via “subsidiarity.” |
| • OWN RULE SETTING for subsidiary actors (as functional claim) | ||
| Site-Specific Conditions | • Heterogeneous PREFERENCES | Recognize and incorporate site-specific conditions and interactions—e.g., to mitigate prevalent global collective action dilemma. |
| • Heterogeneous COMPETENCIES and CONSTRAINTS | ||
| • Diversity of INTERACTIONS | ||
| Experimentation and Learning | • Fostering INNOVATION and flexible ADAPTATION | Facilitate enclosed experimentation and increased mutual learning—e.g., creating linkage in the network-like polycentric structure. |
| • Fostering NORMS and KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION | ||
| Trust | • TRUST as a relevant MEANS to foster cooperation | Build mutual trust to enhance cooperation—e.g., by implementing trust catalysts. |
| • Accompanying practices to disincentivize free-riding (“trust CATALYSTS”) | ||