'Climate change integration in the multilevel governance of Italy and Austria' is a research project financed by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Research Südtirol 2019), which lasted for 27 months (Oct 2020-Dec 2022). The project responds to two main research questions: 1) how the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano in Italy and Länder Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria have integrated climate change in their subnational policies in the fields of transport, energy and water, and spatial planning; 2) which factors facilitate this integration.

Filling a research gap on the role of subnational governments in the fight against climate change, 'Climate change integration in the multilevel governance of Italy and Austria' responds to two main research questions: 1) how the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano in Italy and Länder Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria have integrated climate change in their subnational policies in the fields of transport, energy and water, and spatial planning; 2) whether and how coordination (the existence of formal or informal mechanisms of vertical or horizontal coordination among policy-makers), participation (the level of involvement of civil society in decision-making), information (the extent to which the public and policy officers are informed about climate change and the quality of information), leadership (the level of engagement or policy initiative on the part of political leaders or administrative officers in charge of climate related matters), and funding (the extent to which there is dedicated funding to support climate initiatives) are factors that facilitate this integration.

The methods adopted to respond to these questions are (1) a comparative approach within and across case studies, and (2) an empirical legal research method, whereby the analysis of legal texts and policy documents (desk research) was, for the first time in this area, combined with a set of interviews (thirty-nine in total) with policy officers and representatives of civil society organizations in all case studies.

Research lasted 27 months (October 2020 - December 2022) and was conducted in partnership with the University of Innsbruck and the University of Trento. 

This project has received funding from the 2019 edition of the program Research Südtirol of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.