The Early Experiences of Local Climate Change Adaptation in Norway Compared with That of Local Agenda 21

Abstract

Norwegian experiences on Local Agenda 21, local climate change mitigation and local climate change adaptation are compared. One conclusion drawn from these experiences is that climate change adaptation lacks the normative impetus for local action that Local Agenda 21 and climate change mitigation have had, thus making it harder to include climate change adaptation in serious policy making. Another conclusion is that climate change adaptation is framed in a way that can be counterproductive to climate change mitigation. By focusing only on the partial effects of changes in local climate conditions and ignoring the possible local effects of climate change in other countries, climate change vulnerability assessments tend to conclude on far less dramatic consequences compared to the general debate on the global effects of climate change. In turn, climate change sceptics may use this information to challenge the conclusion that serious steps need to be taken to avert disaster. The final conclusion is that currently both climate change mitigation and adaptation receive little attention in policymaking at the local, regional and national level.