A New Frontier of Upscaling? Implementation Challenges for Local Governments in Climate Governance from a Latin American Perspective

ABSTRACT

Research on climate action increasingly highlights the multilevel dynamics of policymaking, with upscaling—the expansion, adaptation, and sustainability of policies across contexts—emerging as a central concern. While European studies stress communication channels, financial resources, political leadership, party strength, and civil society engagement, this article argues that perspectives from Latin America can enrich the analytical framework of climate governance. The study examines Chile's Framework Law on Climate Change (No. 21.455), focusing on the Municipality Climate Change Action Plan (PACCC). This hierarchical upscaling initiative struggled to move beyond pioneering municipalities, as most local governments were unable to meet the initial legal deadline. Using a mixed‐methods approach—combining a database of subnational climate policy plans and 15 semi‐structured interviews with local officials—the article asks what multilevel governance factors account for the difficulties in the hierarchical upscaling of local climate action in Chile? The analysis identifies three key factors that are broadly relevant to upscaling. First, limited state capacity constrains policy implementation. Second, uneven decentralization across political, administrative, and economic dimensions deepens disparities between municipalities. Third, middle managers emerge as pivotal actors who, alongside mayors, foster innovation and offset weak technical expertise. By clarifying the barriers and enablers of upscaling in the case, the article contributes to international debates on climate action and the dynamics of multilevel policymaking in the Global South.