Qualitative document study reveals diagnostic control predominance over learning mechanisms in municipal climate budgets, indicating limited capacity for transformative climate action.
Key Points
To examine the formal configuration of management controls in municipal climate budgets and evaluate their potential to enable transformative climate action.
Conducted a qualitative document study analyzing climate budgets from eight municipalities in Norway.
Applied the levers of control framework alongside the concept of dynamic tensions to evaluate control mechanisms.
Municipal climate budgets rely predominantly on diagnostic controls centred on quantitative targets, indicators, and emissions monitoring.
Mechanisms promoting collaborative dialogue, organizational learning, behavioural boundaries, and shared climate values were rarely incorporated.
Existing frameworks reinforce accountability for established measures but provide limited structure for questioning assumptions or designing innovative solutions.