Environmental Governance and Federalism
Summary
Environmental governance and federalism examine how decision-making authority and responsibilities for environmental policy are allocated across levels of government. In federal systems, power is constitutionally divided between national and subnational entities, requiring ongoing coordination and negotiation in setting environmental standards, managing natural resources and enforcing regulations. Multilevel governance frameworks emphasise the roles of supranational, national, regional and local actors, including courts and civil society, in achieving sustainable outcomes. Principles such as subsidiarity guide the allocation of tasks to the lowest competent tier, while intergovernmental relations and fiscal arrangements shape incentives and capacities for policy implementation. Effective environmental governance in federations can foster innovative policy instruments, align local actions with global commitments and address transboundary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Conversely, overlapping jurisdictions and political contestation may lead to regulatory fragmentation or legal conflicts, underscoring the need for institutional mechanisms that promote coordination, dispute resolution and stakeholder engagement.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Environmental Governance and Federalism publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in environmental governance and federalism across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Federalism: A system of governance in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.
Multilevel governance: A framework recognising the dispersion of authority across local, regional and national levels.
Subsidiarity: The principle that decisions ought to be made at the most immediate level capable of addressing an issue effectively.
Jurisdiction: The legal authority to implement and enforce laws within a defined territory.
Environmental rights: Rights guaranteeing individuals and communities access to a healthy environment.
References
- The US Political Economy of Climate Change: Impacts of the “Fracking” Boom on State-Level Climate Policies. State Politics & Policy Quarterly (2023).
- The Trump Administration's Assault on California's Global Climate Leadership. AJIL Unbound (2018).
- Role of courts in interpreting local government's environmental powers in South Africa. Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance (2016).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.