Legitimacy in the trans-scalar governance of climate adaptation

Climate change adaptation is increasingly being addressed by public, private, and hybrid governance institutions across global, regional, national, sub-national, and local scales. Strengthening emerging forms of trans-scalar adaptation action is critical for addressing urgent climate risks. However, critics point to growing climate injustices and public legitimacy perceptions of the emerging forms of trans-scalar adaptation governance remain in question. As scholars of legitimacy repeatedly tell us, legitimacy is crucial for effectively addressing policy problems. Adaptation governance will only work well when groups affected by climate change, as well as state and non-state actors, have confidence in global governance institutions and so feel it is worthwhile engaging with them, taking notice, discussing, participating, and accepting the norms and rules they promote. This commentary argues that we need more research on legitimacy in trans-scalar adaptation governance. Despite the importance of legitimacy for governing adaptation effectively, assessments of sociological legitimacy—i.e., legitimacy in the eyes of different stakeholders—are scant. Existing contributions on the issue of sociological legitimacy typically focus on climate governance institutions in general or in the area of mitigation, but not in the area of adaptation. The social science research community could significantly improve data and research on legitimacy in adaptation governance, in particular by investigating how climate justice may generate legitimacy perceptions in adaptation governance. In turn, this knowledge can be used to assist policymakers in enhancing legitimacy in trans-scalar adaptation governance. ; GlocalClim