Environmental Policy Capacities in Local Governments. The Case of Chilean Municipalities

This article examines the uneven development of environmental policy capacities among Chilean municipalities. Drawing on the policy capacities framework, we distinguish operative, analytical, and political capacities and measure them through the first nationwide survey exclusively focused on municipal environmental management (84.6% response rate). We construct composite indicators for each capacity and an integrated index to map territorial patterns and internal imbalances. Regression models combining survey and administrative data assess variation in municipal policy capacity. Results reveal substantial subnational inequality: the size of the municipal administration is the most robust predictor, whereas general fiscal resources show no consistent effect. Civic density is positively associated with capacity, particularly its political dimension, while extractive industry presence is negatively associated with operative capacity. Environmental and economic pressures do not automatically generate capacity; their effects are conditional on municipal resources and context. Environmental policy capacity thus depends on organizational endowments and state–society relations across territories.