Edward Elgar Publishing Informal Institutions in Policy Implementation: Comparing Low Carbon Policies in China and Russia

At a time of global climate crisis, this crucial book examines the prospects for implementing low-carbon policies in the two global superpowers of China and Russia, focusing on the role of informal institutions in achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Chapters shed light on how informal institutions function and work in practice, how and why they take shape and how they influence formal low-carbon policies. Forensically examining five critical cases relating to Chinese and Russian institutions, this book demonstrates how informal institutions can both support and obstruct the achievement of formal policy goals. Through comparisons within and between each country, it shows how these dynamics differ and offers key hypotheses on the role of these institutions in policy implementation. Comprehensive and incisive, this book will be important reading for scholars researching public policy in China and Russia, particularly those specialising in environmental science and politics. The practical insights derived from new case studies will also be useful for policymakers working on climate mitigation policy. Review 'The role of informality is essential for an understanding of public policies, especially in countries like China and Russia, where decisions are very much non-transparent, and outcomes are often unexpected. Korppoo, Stendsdal, and Korsnes masterfully analyze five cases of low carbon energy policies and convincingly explain the sources and mechanisms of their success and failure through the lenses of interactions between formal and informal institutions.' --Vladimir Gel'man, European University at St.Petersburg, Russia and University of Helsinki, Finland 'This book takes a rigorous and detailed comparative perspective on the climate policies of two countries that will be essential to achieving the low-carbon transition - China and Russia. The authors delve into the formal and informal processes that shape both policy formulation and - importantly - policy implementation. The result of such an ambitious approach is fresh perspectives and findings that will be of interest to students of climate and energy politics.' --Elana Wilson Rowe, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and Nord University, Norway About the Author Anna Korppoo, Research Professor, Iselin Stensdal, Research Fellow, Fridtjof Nansen Institute and Marius Korsnes, Research Scientist, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway