THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS IN THE FORMATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE CLIMATE POLICY

In the context of the growing weight and importance of civil society in developed countries its weight as a key actor in the formation and implementation of climate policy is naturally increasing. The latter is becoming more and more decentralized, open, accessible for monitoring and evaluation and is no longer perceived as an element of exclusively state activity, separated from the activities of the public. Civil society organizations, activists, and climate justice movements play an important role in global climate governance by informing the general public and representing marginalized and vulnerable populations. Citizens and their associations in different countries have become more active in expressing their concerns about the actions or rather inaction of states with regard to climate goals, carbon emissions reduction and fossil fuel subsidies. At the same time, the forms of expressing these opinions are becoming more and more organized, streamlined and systematic. Climate activism can be used as a channel through which the voice of civil society can be heard on how to overcome the climate crisis. Thanks to the active participation of civil society institutions at the international and national levels of governance, the phenomenon of multi-level climate policy is emerging; the latter is becoming polycentric and non-etatismic, gradually losing the features of monopolistic state-centrism. Climate policy implemented at the level of governance closest to citizens and with their direct involvement will be more effective and inclusive, consistent with the principles of participatory democracy and a broader public consensus on current and future climate policy issues.